A woman's worth Revamped
by Spikesslayer8
Summary: Set 1x3. What if Ed didn't die at the end of this episode? How would this effect things between Daryl and Carol? Would Carol still stay meek and quiet? Or would she finally stand up to Ed? This is my take on things. Let me know what you think. Re-vamped and edited.
1. Learning your place

**Okay anyone who read A woman's worth will know this story. It was removed as it didn't fit into the M rating but now I have re-vamped it so it more than does fit within the M rating. I have also posted the un-tamed version on under SpikesSlayer08 if you want to read the full untamed version. Big thank you to my Beta Jaded79 for going over these chapters for me, hope oyu enjoy.**

_Chapter 1_

_Learning your place_

Daryl could hear the screams rip through the night as they ran up the hill towards their camp. He knew Merle would be pissed about being left on that rooftop but Daryl figured he would yell a bit, maybe throw a punch or two; but from the screams it sounded like they were being ripped apart. That's when he heard it, the groans.

"Walkers," he whispered to Rick, trying to keep his voice low. They sped up, running faster, moving through the woods and coming out past the tents and parked cars.

They started firing, shooting anything dead that was moving but they knew from the screams they were too late to save everyone. Daryl could see Ed hiding in one of the cars and he knew he shouldn't have been stunned to realise the man – if you could call him that – had left his wife and daughter to fend for themselves.

He could see Carol had put Sophia between herself and a car. She had a thick piece of wood in her hands and was ready to do what she had to, to protect her daughter but she was out numbered as three walkers started to surround her.

Raising his bow, he shot one in the back in the head with an arrow; raising his gun, he shot the second but the last was on her, grabbing for the terrified woman. Kicking it back, she swung the wood hitting it in the head, not hard enough to put it down but it did stumble backwards giving Daryl the time to run up behind it, thrusting a knife into its skull, ending it.

"Stay behind me," he ordered them, turning and holding his bow up shooting another walker that was stumbling towards them. Looking around he could see bodies everywhere, some of the living, mostly those of the long dead; he turned to face Carol and Sophia once he realised it was safe.

"Are you both alright? Did you get bit or scratched?" Carol shook her head shocked that Daryl Dixon had come to their rescue but beyond grateful.

"No we're fine, thank you," she gasped hugging him tightly before she could stop herself. He stood there stiffly for a moment before he embraced her briefly, the smell of soap and lavender assaulted his senses and he decided right there that it was the best smell in the world.

"It was nothing," he huffed as they pulled apart, looking into her eyes. He could get lost in those blue eyes but the stitching sound of her deadbeat husband broke the trance.

"Hey redneck, how about you get your hands off my wife!" Ed spat, moving to stand in front of Carol. Rick could see this was going to end badly and moved to stand by Daryl.

"Listen here, you piece of shit if it wasn't for me, your wife would be dead," Daryl hissed at him moving to get in Ed's face. "And where the hell were you when they were surrounded by walkers? Hiding in a car like the god damn coward you are." Ed laughed out loud at this and Daryl saw red, smashing his fist into Ed's face. Ed fell to the ground.

Carol grabbed Sophia's hand moving her, she had moved to help Ed when Shane hit him earlier today; but never again, he had left her and Sophia to die. He had seen them surrounded and she had to watch as he fled to the safety of that car. Ed had done so many horrible things to them but this was by far the worst; he had traded the life of their daughter to save his own, from here on out she refused to defend him. Daryl kicked the man in the guts and Rick and Shane quickly grabbed him, pulling him away.

"You made your point Daryl," Rick whispered in his ear as he jerked away from them, storming over to his tent. Rick kneeled down to look at Ed's already bruised face.

"You have a habit of rubbing people the wrong way, so how about from now on you just keep to yourself," Rick suggested. Ed nodded slowly.

"You won't have to worry, in the morning I'll be taking my family and we will be going our own way," Ed announced. Carol felt panic burn through her; after tonight she didn't trust Ed to keep them safe.

"Well we'll see what the morning brings," Rick sighed standing to his feet. He could see Daryl pacing out in front of his tent and knew the man had heard Ed's announcement. Did Daryl have feelings for Carol?, he couldn't help but wonder. Daryl had looked almost scared when he saw her and Sophia cornered by walkers. Rick decided to leave it for now; he moved to help start the clean-up.

By the next morning, everyone was moving around the camp packing up. Daryl had helped T-Dog burn the large pile of dead walkers, then Glenn and T-Dog had moved to start digging holes for their dead loved ones lost in the attack last night. Rick, Shane and Daryl were looking at maps discussing the best place to head and once they had decided on heading towards the CDC, Shane had moved off to pack up his stuff.

Rick had been watching Daryl closely and aside from the occasional nod or grunt he hadn't really had much of an opinion about where they headed next. Mostly because Daryl was too distracted watching as Ed hurried along Carol and Sophia into packing up their stuff to head away from the group.

"So what are you thinking?" Rick asked looking at Daryl. "Daryl?" he spoke trying to get the man's attention.

"Huh? Oh yeah CDC great," he spoke flippantly looking at Rick before turning his attention back to Carol and Sophia.

"Not the CDC, about Ed taking Carol and Sophia alone?" This got Daryl's attention, finally a topic he had an opinion about.

"I think he proved last night that he only cares about himself and if he had to, he would kick their feet out from under them to save his own skin… twenty four hours and I bet they are both dead or worse, turned." Daryl sighed leaning on the car hood.

"I agree," Rick spoke as Daryl looked at him.

"So what do we do?" Daryl asked hoping the former cop would back him up.

"I think we should have a nice chat with Ed in private." Daryl couldn't help but smirk.

"I think that's a great idea, you're not half bad Rick… for a cop," Daryl smiled.

"I'll take that as a compliment… I think," Rick smiled. Daryl nodded pointing at Ed as they watched the man head into the woods, no doubt to go to the bathroom before heading out.

Daryl and Rick moved following him unnoticed by anyone else. They could see him behind the tree and knowing what he was doing they stood waiting. Daryl couldn't help but smile at the look on Ed's face when he came around the tree to head back to camp and saw the two of them standing there. Daryl saw the panic in Ed's eyes as he looked around for an escape but when he went to move, Rick raised his gun.

"Ah uh, we just want to talk," Rick said seeing the man stop, looking at them fearfully. Daryl moved in front of Ed till his back was pushed up against the tree, buck knife in Daryl's hand. He had to use all his will power not to stab the man right there and then.

"Now Ed it's no secret what I think of you and I would like nothing better than to see the back of you, but you're not taking Carol and Sophia anywhere, they stay with the group," Daryl told him.

"They're my family, they go where I go," Ed spat.

"Then you stay too, that or I kill you and tell everyone a walker got you." Daryl saw the panic in the man's eyes and knew he was finally getting through to him. "We'll even make it look like your idea, you can say you had a change of heart and that it's safer for you all if the groups stays together; that way you won't look like the coward piece of shit we both know you are… deal?" Ed nodded quickly as the two men smiled, moving back to the camp feeling pleased with themselves.

Ten minutes later everyone was packed up and ready to head out, the walkers had been burnt and their dead buried, they had all decided the CDC was their best hope. Rick didn't trust Ed as far as he could throw him so he decided to put people in groups in the cars.

"Okay Dale and Glenn you both go in the RV, Andrea you can go with Shane, Daryl and T-Dog you go together and Lori, me and Carl will go with Ed, Carol and Sophia." Carol looked up at this, surprised.

"But I thought…," she started but Rick cut her off.

"Didn't Ed tell you? He decided it was safer if we all stay together, isn't that right Ed?"

"Ah yeah," he nodded agreeing. Carol could tell Ed hadn't made the choice on his own free will but whatever happened, she was thankful; they had probably saved both her and Sophia's lives.

"All right let's move out." Everyone nodded, heading for their designated cars. Daryl moved near her, his hand brushing past her arm causing shivers to run through her.

She looked up to see Daryl nod at her and she couldn't help but smile as she slipped into the back of the car. Knowing Daryl Dixon was looking out for them made her feel safe and warm. She could see Ed shooting daggers at her and she knew once they stopped and things calmed down she would be hearing about this again, but at this stage she just couldn't seem to care.


	2. Getting a feel for you

**Big thanks you to Jaded79 for beta-ing this for me, let me know what you think.**

_Chapter 2_

_Getting a feel for you._

They had made it to the CDC just as the sun was starting to go down. The whole trip there Daryl had been sure to stay behind the car Carol was in, he knew she was safe as long as Rick was in the car with her but he still worried.

Why did he worry? Sure he had always thought Carol different, beautiful when they first met. But he had never gone out of his way to keep an extra close eye on her, although he hadn't with any of them. Merle would have told him he was being a pussy maybe, that is why he held back and with Merle now gone he was free to be more himself with the group, with Carol.

When the doors to the CDC had opened he had stood guard as they all rushed inside, it was almost too good to be true; they were finally safe. They had shelter, safety, food, water, a warm soft bed and a hot shower… oh the shower, he had to admit he had enjoyed every second of it.

As he moved through the hallway, he saw little Sophia and Carl sharing a room together giggling and talking. He couldn't help but smile. In the room next door, he saw Rick and Lori and then the next was Ed who had passed out on the small single bed in the room, but he quickly noticed Carol wasn't in there.

He moved further down the hallway placing his dirty clothes in the small basket sitting just inside the room that he had claimed as his own. He looked across the hall seeing the light to the common room on. Moving inside the door, he saw Carol sitting on the lounge chair, a book in her lap slowly starting to doze off but she jerked awake when she heard his bare feet move across the floor.

"Daryl, you scared me," she gasped hand over her chest.

"Sorry," he muttered moving to pick up the book that had tumbled from her lap and handing it to her; she took it smiling at him.

"Thanks."

"You look tired, you should get some rest," he sighed sitting down across from her.

"I was but someone came in here and woke me up," she laughed softly.

"Why are you sleeping in here? There are other rooms out there with beds that would be a lot more comfortable than a couch," he asked confused. But all Carol could do was look down, mentally scolding herself for saying anything in the first place and then it clicked for him. "Ah if you sleep in another room you're avoiding Ed on purpose and he will get mad but if you just happen to fall asleep on a couch while reading a book… well it happens." He sighed, he had seen this before with his own mother.

"My mother used to do this after her and my dad would get into a fight," he confessed. She looked up at him smiling softly as he continued. "My mum was a beautiful lady but my dad could be a real bastard once he had a few drinks." Carol nodded understanding.

"I have to ask, who was it that talked Ed into staying with the group?" she had been dying to know since they had left the camp knowing that Ed never changed his mind once he had made a decision.

"Rick and I had a chat with him," he admitted looking down. She moved forward nodding, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. He had the urge to turn his head and meet her lips with his own but he stopped himself.

"Thank you," she whispered sitting back. "You probably saved both me and my little girl." He had to get out of there, her smile, her smell, her lips, her words, her eyes… it was all too much. If he didn't leave he knew he would make a fool of himself and kiss her and whether he liked Ed or not, she was married; and while she was thankful, she had given him no reason to think it went beyond that.

"I'll let you get some rest," he said standing and walking out of the room leaving her alone.

For a moment there she thought Daryl was going to kiss her and if she said she didn't want him to, it would have been a huge lie. Her mind was screaming to know the feel of his lips on hers. She knew it was wrong to be having these thoughts, she was married and even though her marriage was built on fear and nothing more, she wasn't the cheating type.

She had always been faithful to Ed even though she knew he wasn't. But his unfaithfulness had kept him off her case at least. Honestly, her and Ed hadn't slept together in years; she was just his maid and his punching bag and she could live with that as long as he kept his hands off Sophia.

Daryl warmed her heart, her limbs, her… well he warmed her, he had her feel something she hadn't even felt at the beginning with Ed but what could he possibly want with her? _"You really think a man like that would touch a used up old hag like you?" _She could hear Ed's mocking voice echoing in her head making tears burn her eyes, fighting them back she laid down on the couch pulling the thick cover up over her as she hugged the book and tried to get some sleep.

Their safe sanctuary had been short lived. The very next day they were given information about the "virus", well as much as the doctor knew which honestly wasn't a lot. And then they had discovered the place was going to be engulfed in flames. They managed to escape thanks to Carol's fast thinking and Rick's grenade but it had been a close call and they had still lost someone, granted she choose to stay but it was still a loss.

Then they had been on the road all morning and had found themselves stuck behind a mass of cars on what was once a busy highway. When the herd had blown through, Carol's worst nightmares had come to life as she watched in horror as her little girl was chased into the woods by two walkers.

Rick had gone in after her and Lori held Carol close trying to keep her quiet so not to bring the herd back on them but what fuelled a rage that couldn't be controlled was how Ed just sat there and did nothing. He didn't even look worried or upset and she felt everything inside her snap.

"Aren't you going to do something?" she hissed at him. "That is your daughter," she said pointing into the woods.

"She was stupid enough to run in there, I'm not going in there just to get myself killed," he replied flippantly.

"You're a piece of shit!" she spat. "The very sight of you makes me sick!" He moved fast getting in her face.

"You would do well to remember your place."

"Go on, do it! Show everyone here what a big man you are… you forget Ed that in **this** world you're not the scariest thing stumbling around anymore," she almost laughed at him seeing the fear on his face. She knew she would pay for her words later when no one was around but right now she could care less.

"What the hell is going on?" Daryl asked moving towards her with T-Dog following grasping his bloody arm.

"Did you get bit?" Lori asked stepping back fearfully.

"No dumb ass cut himself open on a car," Daryl huffed. "Now what the hell is going on?"

"Sophia got chased into the woods by walkers, Rick has gone after her," Lori explained.

"What?" Daryl felt panic burn through him slinging his bow over his back and running full speed into the woods. Carol looked at Ed with disgust, shaking her head and moving to stand on the road edge praying they found her little girl.

When they had returned empty handed she felt gutted, her little girl was alone in the woods and it was getting dark and she didn't even know if she was still alive. But they had gone back out at first light. Ed had announced he was tired and had stayed on the highway with Dale and T-Dog and she was glad he did, she couldn't even stomach looking at his face any longer.

Then things went from bad to worse and young Carl had gotten shot forcing Rick and Lori to leave the search and head to a farm not far from the woods. They had all met up there the next day leaving Sophia supplies and a message to wait for them but with Rick weak from giving blood to Carl, Shane with an injured leg, T-Dog's cut on his arm, Glenn doing a supply run and Ed being lazy, that left Daryl to go out alone to look for Sophia.

She saw him talking to the other guys looking at maps before he moved to head off, crossbow on his back, gun and knife on his waist. She moved fast to get to him, stopping him in his tracks.

"I'm coming with you," she announced but he shook his head at her.

"No you're safer here."

"Daryl she is my little girl….," she started but he cut her off.

"Yeah and she is going to need her mum when I bring her back... she needs you safe not going off and getting yourself hurt or killed in the woods."

"I'll be with you, I'll be safe."

"And I'll be so busy keeping an eye on you I could miss something… a walker, her tracks and a clue to where she headed," he tried to explain. "I'm faster alone, better." She sighed, nodded knowing he was right, she would just slow him down, her presence would distract him.

"I'll bring her home," he whispered not being able to stop himself from moving forward and cupping her cheek. "I promise." She nodded looking up, a tear escaping her eye; he moved his fingers wiping the stray tear and looking in her eyes.

He could get lost in those blue eyes if he let himself, it would be so easy. Forcing himself to look away, he turned letting his hand drop from her face and moving out into the woods determined to keep his word to her and to bring home her little girl.

Ed had stood out in the front of his small tent watching the exchange between Daryl and Carol; he could see how the redneck looked at his wife and he would be damned if he would let some redneck take what was his.


	3. Return to me

**Big thanks to Jaded79 for beta-ing this chapter for me. Enjoy and let me know if you liked it or not **

_Chapter 3_

_Return to me._

Daryl headed out into the woods determined not to fail her, he moved through the area they had mapped out until it came to a clearing that an old white house sat on. He moved slowly and carefully, walking inside the house; it was all quiet but he made sure to check upstairs and down to be sure there were no nasty surprises around.

He moved through what looked like the kitchen seeing open food cans, he moved sniffing them and realising they were fresh; someone had been there and recently. Moving, he opened a small closet, seeing blankets on the bottom, it was clear someone had been sleeping there. Leaning down he felt the blankets, they were warm.

Shutting the door, he moved outside looking around but the first thing he noticed was a white flower. He recognised it, picked one and placed it in his pocket before standing looking around again. Someone had been sleeping in that cupboard, someone small and he just knew it was her, he felt it.

"SOPHIA!" he yelled loudly hoping she was nearby and would hear him. The next thing he heard was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

"Mr Daryl," she spoke showing herself, coming around from the side of the house, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face, he had done it, he had found her. She started moving towards him when he saw a walker stumble out behind her, fear gripped him and he saw it get closer to her.

"Sophia run!" he yelled running for her. She looked back to see the walker just inches from her, gasping she ran as fast as she could towards Daryl. He pushed her to the side, grabbing the walker under the chin and thrusting the knife up and into its lower jaw, forcing it all the way up till the blade pierced its brain. He dropped the corpse to the ground wiping the blood from his hands and turned to face her.

"Are you alright? You bit or scratched?" he asked kneeling in front of her, looking her over.

"No, I'm alright," she puffed, her heart going a mile a minute at her close call with the walker. "My mum, is she okay?"

"She's fine, worried about you," he told her noting she didn't mention her dad but deciding to ignore it. "Why didn't you head back to the highway like Rick told you too?"

"I did but there was a walker blocking my way so I ran and hide, I thought maybe it would move away but it saw me and I just ran, I found a church but there were walkers inside, they didn't see me so I ran back into the woods." He nodded understanding.

"Well you're alright now so let's get you back home," he sighed standing, but her little hand grasped his arm stopping him.

"My doll," he turned looking at her confused.

"What? Is it inside?" he asked pointing at the house.

"No, after the church I found a stream but a walker came out of the woods. I ran but I dropped my dolly, I lost the walker and hid here, I was going to go back today and look for it, can we please get it? It's not far from here." Her little voice begged him, big blue eyes looking up at him. He sighed, caving.

"Fine but we need to make it fast," he huffed keeping her close as they headed back into the woods together.

Ten minutes later they had found the stream and sure enough there laid her doll and stumbling through the woods nearby was the walker who had chased her. Daryl had taken great pleasure killing it before they headed back to the farm.

Carol had been sitting at the camp's edge washing everyone's clothes in a large barrel. Lori was still at poor Carl's bedside as was Rick, and Andrea was over at the RV with Dale and Glenn out of sight. Carol hadn't even see him come up behind her, grasping her by the back of the neck and she went to scream but his hand clamped over her mouth silencing her.

"Scream and this is going to be a lot worse for you," she heard Ed hiss in her ear. She had been waiting for this since that day on the highway; she just hoped he didn't beat her too badly this time. "You going to stay quiet?" She nodded tears slipping from her eyes, looking around frantically, hoping, praying anyone could see her but no one could.

He turned her to face him moving his hand from her mouth grasping her neck, making her gag and choke but all he did was smile in satisfaction, before punching her in the stomach hard. She fell to her knees sobbing as he started to kick her.

"It's time you remembered your place," he spat. She heard him taking off his belt but couldn't bring herself to look up as she braced herself for what was to come. "You fucking scream out and I'll flog you twice as fucking hard," he warned her bring the thick belt down across her back. All she wanted to do was wail out but she fought to keep quiet.

"What did you think was going to happen, Carol? What? That the fucking redneck could save you? Be some knight in shining armour?" he laughed out loud as he brought the belt down again and again. "Our daughter is dead and it's all your fault, you're a terrible mother and a shit wife and a man like Daryl wouldn't want something as used up and ugly as you," he hissed moving his hits lower, whipping her legs now.

She sobbed trying the curl up and protect herself from the assault, she didn't know what hurt more his hits or his words… she had been foolish and he was right, Sophia was gone and it was her fault and this was her life, her punishment for not watching her closer and for having thoughts about Daryl.

She was being punished.

They had moved quickly but Daryl had decided as they headed back that he should hunt but he was sure to keep an extra close eye on her and while he wasn't used to the contact he hadn't stopped her when she had grasped the loop on his jeans. She was clearly scared and he couldn't blame her, she had been chased by so many walkers in the past couple of days, alone in the woods. She was running out of close calls but he promised himself she wouldn't have any more, no, he would be keeping an extra close eye on her and her mother from here on out.

Once they reached the clearing in the woods near the farm, he attached his kills to his jeans, and swooping down he picked her up into his arms and moved across the open field. He was shocked to see no one on watch assuming they were in the middle of a changeover. He moved near the RV and saw Andrea and Dale gasp seeing little Sophia in his arms, but he quickly shhhed them, putting her down.

"How about we surprise your mum," Daryl suggested. Sophia nodded smiling as the group moved to hug her. Daryl moved inside the RV to see Carol in the back sitting on the RV bed mending a pair of pants. She looked up at him and it was clear she had been crying but he wasn't surprised. She had been doing that a lot since they lost Sophia. Putting the flower on the stand, she looked at him surprised.

"A flower?" she whispered.

"It's a Cherokee Rose. The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much 'cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure and disease and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the elders, they said a prayer; asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give them strength and hope. The next day this rose started to grow where the mothers' tears fell. I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers blooming for my brother. But I believe this one bloomed for your little girl." Carol cried softly, nodded at his sweet words as they swelled in her heart. "And I think you have lots of reason to have hope…. Sophia?," he called out. Carol looked up stunned to see Daryl move out of the way to reveal Sophia.

"Mummy!" the little girl cried.

"Sophia," she whispered dropping to her knees and scooping up her daughter. They sat there for the longest time holding each other and crying on the floor before she stood hugging Daryl. "You brought her home safely, you have no idea what that means to me," she said stepping back and picking up her daughter. Daryl just nodded before leaving them alone to their reunion.

That night they had all decided to celebrate, Sophia being found alive and well had filled them all with hope. They sat around the small fire laughing and relaxing for the first time in a long time. Hershel and his girls had even come out to join them offering them a few bottles of wine to celebrate even though he wasn't a drinker, at least not anymore.

Ed had barely said two words since he found out Sophia had been found alive. It was almost like he was annoyed the girl was safe and Carol knew why, because he wanted to use her possible death as leverage over Carol. She swore to herself that would never happen again, she was a good mother; he was the one who was no good and she was thankful that he had refused to join the group and opted to stay in his tent.

After the attack, she had gone back to the RV in agony but luckily no one had noticed her hobble, washing her wounds and welts, she had covered herself in baggy clothes. But the evening was turning out quiet warm so she had changed into a looser shirt thinking it would be enough to cover her marks but when she bent over to pick up the bottle of wine to refill everyone's glass, she realised her mistake hearing Lori's gasp.

"Oh my god Carol, what happened to you?" Lori asked in horror, when she saw the other woman's top ride up revealing the thick torn welts.

"Nothing, I just fell I'm fine really," she smiled standing straight hoping they would just leave it but Daryl, Rick and Hershel were up and on her in seconds. Lifting the back of her shirt, Rick stepped back in horror.

"Carol I've been a cop a long time, that's not from any fall," Rick spoke, Shane moving to stand beside him.

"Nope I've seen marks like that before, someone hit you with a belt," Shane noted.

"We need to get this cleaned properly, my dear, you could get an infection and some of these need stitching too," Hershel said taking a close look.

Daryl was fuming, rage boiled inside him, lifting her top more he noted the welts covered her back and Hershel was right some would need stitches. Daryl turned her to face him but she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. Moving down, he lifted the bottom of her pants seeing more welts littered her legs; then standing, he moved to lift the front of her shirt.

"Daryl, don't," her voice begged but he lifted it seeing an ugly black and purple bruise covering her stomach.

"Mum," Sophia gasped as Carl held her. Carol looked up into Daryl's eyes seeing rage, anger, hate but not for her, he looked over at the tent where he knew Ed was inside.

"Don't," she spoke but there was no stopping him; his face twisted in disgust and rage.

"I'll fucking kill him!" he spat grabbing his bow and heading for Ed's tent with only one thing on his mind, ending him once and for all.


	4. Eye for an eye

**Big thank you to Jaded79 for beta-ing this chapter so fast. Let me know what you guys think and I hope you enjoy **

_Chapter 4_

_Eye for an eye._

"_Daryl, don't," her voice begged but he lifted it seeing an ugly black and purple bruise covering her stomach._

"_Mum," Sophia gasped as Carl held her. Carol looked up into Daryl's eyes seeing rage, anger, hate but not for her, he looked over at the tent where he knew Ed was inside._

"_Don't," she spoke but there was no stopping him; his face twisted in disgust and rage._

"_I'll fucking kill him!" he spat grabbing his bow and heading for Ed's tent with only one thing on his mind, ending him once and for all._

Daryl moved across the camp, his eyes focused on the small tent. He knew Ed was in there and he was going to make him pay. He could hear Carol calling out to him, begging him not to make it any worse but rage consumed him and there was no stopping him.

"Lori take the kids inside," Rick ordered as him and Shane raced to catch up to Daryl. Lori rushed the kids inside just as Daryl ripped open the tent entrance.

"What the hell?" Ed jerked up at the invasion but Daryl said nothing, grasping his foot and jerking him out of the tent and onto the cold dirt ground, kicking him straight in the guts.

"Come along, Carol, you don't need to see this," Hershel spoke softly leading her away from the fight and into the safety of the house.

"How do you like it huh?" Daryl barked at the man, delivering another kick to his stomach. "Big man beating on a woman, well tonight you're my little bitch," Daryl hissed as he removed his belt.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Rick asked stepping forward.

"An eye for an eye," Daryl replied not giving them a chance to stop him he brought the belt down hard onto Ed's back, the man screamed out and Shane moved to gag him before stepping back to see Rick looking at him in surprise.

"What? Can't have his scream attracting any walkers," Shane shrugged. Rick sighed not liking what was happening but knowing that Ed deserved every second on it and the man had brought it onto himself. Daryl brought the belt down on Ed's back and legs a few more times before he reached for his bow off his back moving to aim. Rick ran forward pushing the bow up the arrow flying out and just missing Ed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Daryl hissed getting in Ricks face.

"You're taking it too far."

"Are you serious? You saw what he did to her," Daryl yelled, Rick sighed nodding.

"I know but this isn't how we handle things."

"I think this is just how we handle things, we kill things that are violent and evil every day without a second thought."

"That's different, they're walkers."

"Yeah you know what, this is different cause when he laid into her today and all the days before it, he did it for the power, the enjoyment but a walker doesn't know any better; it's just a walking eating and killing machine," Daryl argued. "He is dangerous, he will do this again and you want to just let him walk freely around this camp near her and her daughter? We have all seen what he is more than happy to do and how he looks at that little girl… he is sick!" Daryl spat, fear, rage and hate burning through him and seeping into every core.

"We don't kill the living," Rick snapped.

"Maybe we didn't in the past but things are different now," Daryl sighed taking a deep breath trying to calm himself down. "I understand that you were a cop and you believe in the law and ethics, morals and all that good guy crap but you're not a cop anymore and it's a brave new world and unless you start putting a stop to this kind of bullshit you're going to getting everyone here killed," he all but yelled, then kneeling next to Ed he talked in a low but cold voice.

"They're not always going to be around to protect you all the time, you lay a single finger on her or that little girl I will bury you and **no one** will be able to stop me." Standing, he stormed off towards the house to check on Carol.

"I never thought I would agree with a Dixon but he is right Rick, things are different now and people like Ed are a real danger," Shane sighed walking off. Rick sighed looking down at Ed before moving to pull his gag off.

"We have a real problem because I actually think they are right so next bad move you make is your last… from here on out you keep to your little tent and stay out of everyone's way and as for Carol and Sophia from tonight on they stay in the RV, got it." Ed huffed trying to catch his breath and nodded before Rick stood and walked away.

Daryl stood at the doorway watching as Hershel cleaned and stitched open wounds on her back, he saw tears in her eyes as she hissed every time Hershel stuck the needle in. This was just wrong and he knew they needed to do a supply run again soon; stitching up wounds with nothing to numb the wound was just cruel.

"Hey, I'm sorry about out there," Rick spoke softly as he came to stop next to him.

"I meant what I said, he tries to hurt either of them again and I will end him," Daryl spoke still looking at Carol who was yet to notice his presence.

"I'll help you." Daryl looked at him, a little surprised but nodded at the man's warm smile. I have Shane and Glenn moving her and Sophia's stuff into the RV." Daryl nodded grateful to hear it.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Daryl, is there something between you and Carol?" Daryl's head shot up at the question.

"What? No we're… I mean I…," he stammered before stopping himself, taking a deep breath and trying again. "We're just friends that's all," he insisted but Rick just smiled at the way Daryl's cheeks had gone bright red and his words had stammered out. Figuring it was better to leave it alone, Rick simply nodded.

"Let us know how she is when Hershel is finished." Daryl nodded watching Rick walk back outside. He sighed thinking about Rick's question. He cared about Carol and Sophia. He had been attracted to Carol the moment he first laid eyes on her but Merle had laughed; he still remembered Merle's words.

"_Oh please Darylena, what would a woman like that want with a redneck piece of trash like you? Keep dreaming little brother." _Merle's mocking words and laughter echoed in his mind as he felt his fist clench at his side. But he knew Merle was right, what would Carol ever want with someone like him? She deserved better but he decided the whole thoughts were pointless, she wasn't interested in him. Sure, she was nice to him but she was nice to everyone. He watched as Hershel moved to cover her shirtless back with a light blanket before moving over to Daryl.

"How is she?"

"In a lot of pain but she hides it well, I've told her she is to spend the night in here, her and Sophia can have my bed, I would like to keep a close eye on her," he explained as Daryl nodded.

"Thanks doc." Hershel nodded.

"I've given her something for the pain so she may be a little drowsy," Hershel said before moving off down the hall. Daryl sighed moving into the room and sitting next to her, she opened her heavy eyes to look at him.

"Is he alive?" she whispered.

"Unfortunately." She nodded understanding his anger. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." He nodded.

"Yeah, Hershel gave you something for the pain; he said it would make you drowsy."

"I ruined everyone's night," she sighed feeling guilty. "Everyone was having so much fun."

"Hey it's not your fault, that bastard had no right to put his hands on you."

"He's my husband."

"That don't give him the right to hit you, I know plenty of blokes who don't hit their wives," he replied feeling anger at hearing her call that monster her husband, it just made Daryl hate him even more if that was even possible. "Do you love him?" He didn't know where those words came from, they just spilled out.

"No, I can't ever say that I have ever loved Ed, it would be a lie to say I ever did," she sighed. "My parents set us up; they were best friends with his parents. They went to the same church and they wanted us to be together but I never liked him, he was cocky, rude and arrogant but I agreed to go out with him one night to get my parents off my back and he took me to a party and…" she couldn't bring herself to finish the story, feeling dirty and ashamed.

"What? What happened?" She looked into his eyes, tears burning her own eyes. "I just want to understand." Nodding, she continued.

"I had one drink and then all I remember is waking up the next morning in bed with him, I thought I had just passed out but he said we slept together… I didn't believe him until I found out I was pregnant with Sophia… my parents told me I was a disgrace and I had shamed the family and that I either got rid of the baby or married Ed," she told him tears falling from her eyes.

"One drink, asshole probably slipped you something," he hissed.

"Doesn't matter now… I couldn't bring myself to have an abortion so I married Ed to please my parents."

"Bastards!" Daryl spat feeling anger towards her parents for not protecting her like they should have.

"I'm tired," she sighed, her eyes opening and closing. "Sophia," she whispered trying to keep her eyes open.

"I'll watch her tonight, just sleep woman." He sighed running his hand across her soft face as she dozed off.

He felt his heart clench and flutter at how he touched her. Looking at his hand that rested on her face, he realized then that there was something between them, at least there was for him. It was more than him simply caring or worrying about her; he was in love with her and he was scared to death something might happen to her. but he knew he could never have her. Merle had been right a woman like Carol wasn't for the likes of him or Ed, she was better than that, she deserved better but he would still protect her even if he knew he could never have her.

"Is my mamma alright?" His hand jerked away at the sound of little Sophia's voice. Looking at her worried, tear stained face, he sighed, standing and then kneeling in front of her.

"She is going to be fine but we need to let her rest, so you're going to stay in the lounge room with me tonight and no wondering off, got it?" She nodded smiling, and taking him by surprise, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Mr Daryl for looking after me and my mummy." He took a deep breath, nodding.

"I'll keep you both safe kid, I promise," he whispered into her short golden hair, determined not to fail her or her mother.


	5. Lost in you

**Huge thanks to Jaded79 for beta-ing this chapter for me too. Let me know what you guys think, enjoy!**

_Chapter 5_

_Lost in you._

Two weeks had passed since Daryl's run in with Ed and thankfully Ed had mostly kept to himself, only coming near the group at dinner time but disappearing to his tent just as fast. Carol and Sophia had spent their nights since then in the RV and Daryl had moved his tent back to the camp and set it outside the RV wanting to keep a close eye on them and make sure Ed kept to his word and stayed away.

Still a lot had happened in two weeks, Carol was now healing well and back to helping the group with her normal duties, Carl was now back on his feet also but not long after Ed's assault on Carol they had discovered the barn was full of walkers. Shane in a rage had opened the barn door and killed every walker that stumbled out; they discovered they were mostly Hershel's family and friends.

After that Hershel had taken off causing Rick and Glenn to chase him to bring him home but they had of course ran into trouble and had returned with an injured man in the back of the car. Rick and Shane had driven him out 18 miles to dump him but again trouble had come, this time in the form of a large group of walkers, and they almost didn't make it back alive.

Now he was tied up in the barn. Carol tried not to think of what was going on in the barn at this moment; she knew Daryl was in there with the man alone… Randall… trying to get information out of him, she just hoped he didn't take it too far.

"So what you going to do?" she heard Lori ask. "We'd all feel better if we knew the plan." She stood there waiting for their answer holding Sophia close to her side.

"Is there a plan?" Andrea asked moving towards Rick and Shane.

"Are we going to keep him here?" Glenn piped up.

"We'll know soon enough," Rick sighed looking over to where Daryl was coming across the clearing from the barn. The first thing Carol noticed was the worry on his face, the second was his bloody knuckles.

"Boy there's got a gang," he said coming to stand in front of the group. "Thirty men with heavy artillery and they aren't looking to make friends… they roll through here our boys are dead and our women, they're gonna wish they were." He sighed feeling dread and panic burn through him.

When Randall had told him the story of what his group had done to a father and his two teenage daughters all he could think about was Carol and Sophia and he knew he had to do whatever it took to keep them both safe even if it meant killing the boy.

"What did you do?" Her voice was soft and sad; he looked at his hand bloody and torn open from the beating he had delivered.

"We had a little chat." She couldn't listen to anymore, shaking her head and sighing she turned, moving away from the group and to the RV with Sophia at her side.

He hadn't seen her for a few hours and he was dying to get out and hunt but he wanted to make sure she was alright before he took off. T-Dog had taken it upon himself to keep a close eye on Carol and Sophia when Daryl was off hunting so Daryl always made a point to let him know when he was going out.

"Hey you seen Carol?" he asked T-Dog who stood on the front porch.

"Yeah she is in the RV repairing some clothes, and Sophia is just over there playing with Carl," he said pointing near Lori and Rick's camping area.

"Alright, I'm going hunting just going to check in with Carol." T-Dog nodded as he watched Daryl move over to the RV, wondering how much longer it would take before they finally admitted what they really felt for each other.

Daryl opened the door to the RV, walking inside he shut the door behind him softly. He found her sitting at the back of the RV repairing the group's older and torn clothes; she didn't bother to look up knowing it was him and she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed in his actions this morning.

"Hey I just wanted to check on you, I'm going hunting," he spoke gruffly leaning in the door frame.

"Okay," she whispered still not looking up at him. He knew something was wrong; she usually had a smile for him and always told him to be careful but now she wouldn't even look at him.

"Something wrong?" She sighed stopping what she was doing and standing to finally look at him.

"Does it really matter if there is?" she asked her tone angry and he found himself confused.

"Right, what's your problem?" he snapped tossing his bow on the bed.

"You really want to know?"

"It's why I asked." Nodding, she took a deep breath before starting.

"This morning, you said you and Randall had a little chat but from the look of your hands you like to talk with your fists."

"Trust me he deserved a lot worse."

"Did Rick put you up to it? Why didn't he get Shane to question him?"

"Shane is a loose cannon."

"And your what, his henchman?" she asked raising her voice, he looked up at her surprised at her choice of words. "Torturing people, that isn't you, it isn't who you are." He felt anger burn in him, how dare she call him Rick's henchman! Daryl Dixon was no one's henchman!

"Oh and you know me so well huh?" he hissed "You don't know a damn thing about me woman and I ain't no one's henchmen!" he said raising his voice at her too.

"Then stop acting like it, Rick barks an order at you and you jump like a good little soldier… you're a good man Daryl, you're better than this," she whispered moving closer to him but he could stop himself from jerking away from her; he turned intending on leaving but she grasped his arm.

"Daryl please stop…," she sighed, grabbing his arm but he turned with rage in his eye and she couldn't stop from jumping back, fear all over her features, her hands moving up to protect her face from a blow she expected to come that never did. He sighed realising he had scared her and in that moment he hated himself.

"Carol I… fuck!" he hissed running his hand through his messy hair, hating himself for losing his temper and for scaring her, he touched her arm softly getting her to calm down. She lowered her hands feeling silly for even thinking he would hurt her but after years of abuse it was just a natural reaction. "I would never hit you woman and I'm sorry I yelled alright." She sighed, nodded fighting back the tears that burned in her eyes but failing as they slipped down her cheeks.

"Please don't cry, I bloody hate it when you bloody cry," he sighed moving to sit her on the bed with him. "You never have to worry about me hitting you, I know I can be a jerk, hot headed and I yell sometimes but I would never lay my hands on you." She nodded looking up at him.

"I'm sorry; it was just a reaction… I know you would never…," she cried unable to control her tears; he moved forward wrapping his arms around her as she cried into his chest.

"It's alright, I get it," he tried to reassure her; he knew old habits die hard.

When he noticed her crying had stopped, she pulled back looking at him strangely. Her hands moved to his chest unbuttoning the first few buttons on him shirt, he knew she felt it when she leaned her face on his chest and even though he had never let anyone else besides Merle see his scars he couldn't bring himself to stop her. She opened the shirt looking at the large scar on his chest just over his heart; she reached out with her fingers brushing across the scar lightly causing his eyes to close at the feel of her soft skin on his.

"What happened?" she asked her voice a soft whisper.

"As I said my father could be a real bastard when he drank." She looked up her eyes glassy from her tears and before he knew what he was doing he was leaning down to capture her lips with his own.

The kiss was soft and sweet; she never thought someone as rough and ragged as Daryl Dixon could have lips so soft and sweet. When she felt his tongue push at her lips she opened them willingly moaning at the feel of his tongue brushing across hers. Electric shocks shot through her body making her burn in a way she had never felt possible before.

Daryl was lost in the kiss. He didn't know what had possessed him into kissing her; he was just thankful she hadn't pushed him away in horror. No, she was kissing him back, moaning in his mouth softly grasping at his half opened shirt like she thought he might disappear. He was moments from pushing her down onto the bed when the RV door swung open and the sound of Carl and Sophia giggling filled the room.

They jerked away from each other before the two kids saw them kissing. Daryl turned his back to the kids quickly doing up his shirt and grabbing his bow as Carol sat there cheeks bright red, whether from embarrassment or excitement he wasn't sure.

"I'll be back before dark," he told her unable to look at her before moving out of the RV. "You kids behave and stay in the camp."

"I promise Mr Daryl," Sophia smiled as he shut the door behind him. Carol smiled at the kids moving into the RV's bathroom to collect herself for a few moments, shutting the door as she tried to catch her breath. Sophia smiled at her mother's disappearing form. She had pretended not to see their kiss but she had; smiling at Carl, he looked at her confused.

"What?" he asked her.

"Do you think we could have a sleep over tonight? Maybe Mr Hershel will let us camp in the lounge room." Carl smiled excitedly at the idea.

"Yeah let's ask him," he smiled all but bouncing out of the RV in excitement. Sophia couldn't wipe the smile from her face. Mr Daryl was strong, brave and a nice man, a good man, he had saved her life finding her in the woods and bringing her home to her mum; he had saved them both when he had told Ed to stay away from them both.

Her mother was beautiful and kind and deserved happiness and she could tell by the way they were around each other that there were feelings between them, and that Mr Daryl could really make her mother happy. Maybe with her having a sleep over with Carl tonight, she could talk Mr Daryl into staying in the RV with her mum. After all, Carol needed someone to watch over her for the night. A smile on her face, she followed Carl to the Greene house intending to set her plan into action.


	6. Sorry brother

**A big thank you to Jaded79 for being amazing and beta-ing this chapter for me. Hope you all enjoy and let me know your thoughts please **

_Chapter 6_

_Sorry brother._

Carol had been watching the children play when she saw Daryl moving across the camp just returning from his hunt. He had a string of rabbits and squirrels hanging from his belt. He moved over towards her smiling shyly and handing her his kills. She could feel her cheeks burn red at the thought of the kiss they had shared just hours before.

"I can clean them if you like," he offered.

"It's alright I can handle it," she smiled. "Rick wants to talk to you anyway," she informed him and he nodded walking over to the house where he saw Rick and Shane talking.

"Hey, any problems out there?" Rick asked as Daryl came to stand beside him.

"Few walkers, nothing to write home about," Rick nodded.

"We're about to call a group meeting about what to do with Randall."

"Alright I'll clean up and be right there," Daryl told him heading to the RV to get cleaned up.

They had been talking or more accurately arguing about what to do with Randall for a few minutes now and Carol could see they were never going to agree. Dale wanted to spare him but Shane and Rick wanted him dead, felt he was too dangerous to keep alive. Sighing, she decided it was time to say something.

"So let's work on it," she heard Dale say before she spoke up.

"Stop it, just stop it… I'm so sick of everyone always arguing and fighting, I didn't ask for this and you can't ask us to decide something like this…," she sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"Doing nothing and killing him yourself…. There's no difference."

"Alright that's enough," Daryl snapped stepping closer to Carol.

"You once said we don't kill the living," Dale said talking to Rick.

"That was before the living tried to kill us," he replied.

"Isn't anyone going to stand with me?" he sighed eyes glassing over; Carol felt her heart break for the man.

"He's right, we should try and find another way," Andrea spoke up, Carol nodded.

"I agree," she said stepping forward.

"You're being foolish, woman" Daryl said moving to stand in front of her.

"Foolish is what she does best," Ed finally spoke up.

"Shut up, no one asked you," Daryl hissed at him before turning back to face Carol.

"He's a human being Daryl, we should at least try and do the right thing, otherwise Dale is right we're no better than the things we are afraid of," she reasoned.

"If you knew the things him and his group have done you would be happy to pull the trigger yourself."

"Then tell us, you all expect us to make this choice but we have little information, just that he comes from a bad group." Daryl looked at Rick who nodded.

"Him and his group came across a camp… a father and his two teenage daughters, they tied up the father and made him watch as they… I think you can figure it out," he spoke unable to finish the gruesome story.

"Oh my god," Carol gasped in shock. "Those poor girls and their father."

"But you said the boy said he didn't do anything," Dale argued.

"So he says, come on Dale, the guy runs with rapists, he tried to kill Rick, Glenn and Hershel that night in town… we keep him here and he gets loose then what? Say he hurts one of the women or young Sophia, you going to beg us to spare him then?" Daryl turned, looking at him.

"So what we're going to punish him for a crime he might commit?"

"If he did, if he hurt someone here or raped one of the women, you would never forgive yourself, can you live with that if we agree with you and he does do something?" Daryl knew he had him then; all the older man could do was look down, shaking his head Dale walked outside refusing to talk with them any longer.

"It's settled then, we do this tonight," Rick announced before they all broke apart and headed off to the rest of their day as best they could.

That night Carol sat in the RV, it was so quiet. T-Dog sat on top keeping watch; she could hear him moving around every now and again. Sophia was camping in the Greene's lounge room with Carl, Beth and Jimmy. Daryl was with Rick and Shane in the barn dealing with Randall. While she was trying her hardest not to think about it, she knew Daryl was right.

After he had told her what Randall's group had done to the father and his two daughters, she knew that she would never feel alright about him being part of the group. She would do whatever she had to, to keep Sophia safe.

When she heard the RV door jerk open, her head shot up fearfully but she relaxed when she saw Daryl walk in closing the door behind him and tossing his bow on the table; she could tell he was upset about something.

"Are you alright?" She spoke softly standing from the bed and walking over to him. She knew he had supported Rick's decision to kill Randall, hell he had fought for it but something had clearly upset him.

"We didn't do it," he spoke gruffly not looking at her.

"Oh… well I mean taking a life shouldn't be easy, it's not a shock that you guys…," she started but he cut her off.

"Oh no, make no mistake we wanted to but Carl showed up just as Rick was about to pull the trigger," he informed her looking up at her.

"What?"

"He wanted to watch."

"Oh my god!," she gasped in shock. "Wait, Sophia?," it suddenly hit her.

"No she's fine, checked on her myself; she was sound asleep in the Greene's lounge room with Beth." She breathed a sigh of relief. "At least your first thought was your child, can't say the same for Lori," he spoke storming past her, pacing the small walkway from the kitchen to the bedroom.

"What do you mean?" she asked turning to face him as he paced.

"Rick told Lori to stay in the house with Carl, to keep an eye on them… she didn't even realise he was gone, swear to god she is going to get that kid killed one day," he spat anger and annoyance burning through him.

Carol wanted to defend Lori, stand up for her, make an excuse but she knew there wasn't one. The world was a dangerous place, walkers being a huge threat but now there was the threat of Randall's men and still Lori did very little to keep Carl close.

"So what is Rick going to do now?"

"I don't know, for now we're keeping him tied up. He is tomorrow's problem… Andrea has gone to find Dale to let him know." She sighed, nodded her head unsure if she was angry or relived but she decided he was right that could be tomorrow's problem.

Daryl had finally stopped pacing, clearly calming down a little. He sighed loudly trying to think what to say, what to do. He knew they needed to talk about what had happened between them earlier today but he just didn't know how to bring it up. In situations like this, Daryl never knew what to do with his hands, so he settled for stepping forward and grasping her hands in his.

"Carol about today… about the…," he stammered but she cut him off.

"The kiss?"

"Yeah that." She looked down shyly.

"Do you… I mean, do you regret it?" she asked her voice shaky and scared but needing to know that answer.

"What? No… I have wanted to do that for a long time, longer than I care to admit."

"Really?" she asked unable to wipe the smile from her face

"Really," he whispered huskily moving closer to cup her left cheek.

She could feel his hot breath on her face, her stomach was going crazy with butterflies and her heart was thumping loudly in her ears but the moment his lips touched hers it was like everything else disappeared. She wrapped her arms around his neck, moving to deepen the kiss between them when a gunshot ran out.

"Stay here," he ordered grabbing his bow and running out into the night but before she knew what she was doing she was running to the door; seeing Lori running towards her and heading for the open field, she stepped out of the RV.

"Stay with the kids," she yelled out to Beth who was now standing on the front porch with Jimmy.

She ran to where everyone was crowding around to see a dead walker and Dale, stomach torn open and insides on the out. Dale gasped and hissed in pain as Rick ordered for Glenn to get Hershel's medical supplies but when she saw Hershel shake his head, she couldn't stop the tears that slid down her face.

"He's suffering," she heard Andrea sob. "Do something!," Andrea all but yelled. Carol watched as Rick pulled out his gun pointing it at Dale's head.

"Oh god," Andrea sobbed turning away, unable to watch but it became clear after a few moments that Rick couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. That's when she saw Daryl step forward taking the gun from him.

"Daryl," she couldn't stop the strangled cry that came out, he looked at her sadly and she knew he was doing the right thing.

"Don't look," he told her as he turned to kneel down next to Dale putting the gun to his head. She sobbed turning to Lori, holding each other as they cried, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Sorry brother," she heard him whisper just before the shot ran out and everything went quiet.


	7. Stay with me

**Big thank you to you all for reading and for the awesome reviews. Big thanks to Jaded79 for getting this back to me so fast, enjoy and let me know your thoughts.**

_Chapter 7_

_Stay with me._

After the shot rang out in the dead of night putting Dale to a peaceful rest, Carol moved away from the group unable to bring herself to look at Dale's lifeless form. She wasn't angry at Daryl or Rick, there was nothing they could do; by the time they got to Dale, the damage was already done, shooting him was the merciful thing to do.

By the time she reached the farm, she could see Sophia on the front porch with Carl, Beth and Jimmy. She ran to her mother throwing her arms around her tightly, sobbing hysterically into her mother's chest.

Carol saw Carl move to run out to the field, she couldn't stop herself from yelling at him telling him to get back in that house and stay there till Lori and Rick got back. She felt bad as she watched the boy's chin tremble, tears springing to his eyes as he stormed back into the house but she knew it was the right call. What if more walkers were about and he went running off into the night? It was too dangerous and it was time he realized that.

She picked up Sophia, carrying her to the RV and walking inside; looking around everything screamed Dale and she couldn't stop the tears that fell. She sat on the bed with Sophia wrapped tightly around her, rocking her gently she shushed her, trying to calm her, humming a lullaby in her ear to try and sooth her. It was about ten minutes later that Daryl walked in, putting his bow on the table and moving to stand in the bedroom doorway to look at them.

"The gun fire woke her up, she thought we were being attacked by walkers," Carol explained. He nodded seeing Sophia's tear stained face looking up at him, eyes puffy and red from crying so much and he felt his heart break seeing her so sad.

"Is there anymore walkers? What if they heard the gun fire?" she spoke fearfully, her voice begging him for reassurance. He moved kneeling in front of them, holding her little hand in his.

"Hey don't think like that alright, besides me, Rick and Shane had a good look around the farm and we didn't find any more walkers and you're here in a locked RV with me and what did I tell you?"

"You'll keep us safe," she sobbed softly.

"That's right and I always keep my word." She nodded slipping from her mother's arms and shocking them both as she wrapped her arms tightly around Daryl's neck hugging him.

"Thank you Mr Daryl," she whispered into his neck, he nodded unsure what to do or say.

"Time for bed," he spoke moving her to her mother and moving back into the kitchen but her small voice stopped him.

"Will you stay here… with us, I mean in the RV? I would feel safer." He turned looking at her.

"I'm not going anywhere kid." She smiled crawling up the bed and slipping under the covers. It was around ten minutes later that he heard Carol get up from the bed; looking up from his seat at the table he saw her shut the door to the bedroom moving to sit across from him.

"Is she sleeping?" he asked.

"Yeah," she sighed nodding. "I don't know how you do it, you have a way of calming her."

"What?" he looked up confused.

"She was in here with me for ten minutes before you came back and the whole time I was trying to calm her down with no success, but you come in, say you going to keep her safe and she sleeps… you're her hero," she smiled.

"I didn't do nothing special," he muttered.

"You're wrong," she whispered. "You make her feel safe and that is everything." He smiled softly nodding. She took a deep breath, wondering if she should ask and knowing she needed to.

"What did you guys…? I mean… Dale…," she stammered unsure how to get the question out.

"We moved him near the barn and covered him up; we're going to bury him in the morning near Hershel's family, having a small service." She sighed nodding.

"Good, that's good," she whispered glad they were going to take the time to honour Dale; if anyone deserved it, he did.

"Are you disappointed in me?" The question left his lips before he could stop it, he looked down embarrassed with himself. He could almost hear Merle laughing at him and calling him a pussy but Carol's next words quieted Merle's mocking laugh.

"No, I'm proud of you." He looked up surprised. Grasping his hand in hers, she looked him in the eyes. "You did something the others couldn't, Dale was in agony and if we are right about scratches being as bad as bites he would have turned too and he wouldn't have wanted that… you did the right thing." He nodded feeling a weight get lifted; he would never be okay with Dale being gone. Dale was a good man, the voice of conscience; and the last thing he had wanted was Dale to suffer.

"Daryl, I want you to teach me how to use a gun or bow or knife or all of the above."

"You don't need to worry about that woman; I'll keep you both safe."

"I know that you will try." His head shot up looking a little hurt. "Sometimes we're alone when bad things happen, when evil finds us… Dale proved that tonight, Dale was alone," she sighed. He nodded knowing she was right and it would kill him if anything like that happened to her or Sophia and they had to shoot them.

"Alright, we're doing a town run in a few days, I'll see if I can find some weapons for you and Sophia."

"Oh no Daryl, I just meant me," she replied shaking her head.

"Carol, she should be trained and armed."

"She's a child Daryl," she argued not liking the thought of her daughter carrying around a gun.

"You said it, sometimes we are alone when evil finds us, wouldn't you rather she be armed and know how to defend herself, than alone and defenceless?" He tried to reason with her.

"She was alone in the woods for two days with no training or weapons and she survived."

"If I had been two seconds later she would be buried over with the Greene's family," he said; her head shot up at this.

"What? You told me you found her hiding in a cupboard in a house," she gasped.

"She had been hiding in a cupboard but when I got there she heard slow shuffling footsteps and thought it was a walker and ran outside to hide," he explained.

"It was you?"

"Yeah, I was moving slowly, making sure to check all the rooms for walkers, when I realized she had been in the cupboard and recently, I ran outside and called for her, she came around the corner of the house but there was a walker right behind her," he told her seeing the fear in her eyes. He had never told her this before, figuring she didn't need to know how close a call it had been. "She didn't even hear it," he whispered.

"Oh my god," Carol gasped trying to fight to tears off.

"I yelled at her to run and I killed it but if I hadn't been there or if I had been two seconds slower…"

"She would have been bit," Carol whispered realisation dawning on her just how close she came to losing her little girl.

"Yes," he nodded looking at her.

"Okay but if we are going to arm her I want her to realize that weapons aren't toys and they're to be respected."

"She's a good kid Carol, smart, she knows the dangers." She nodded sighing, knowing he was right.

The next morning they had laid Dale to rest. Sophia had sobbed into her mother's side as they lowered him into the ground. Rick had talked about them pulling together and not apart, honouring Dale's memory and she knew he was right they needed to stick together.

After the service, everyone had gone about their day to day duties; she knew Rick had decided to free Randall with the help of Daryl but far, far from the farm. Then Daryl, Shane, Andrea and T-Dog had gone out to look for the place where the walker had got in.

Sophia and Carl sat near Lori helping her make lunch as Carol moved around the other side of camp to hang the wet wash up on the line. She was hanging the sheets when she saw him standing near her; she tried to stay calm and show no fear.

"What do you want Ed?" she sighed continuing to hang the clothes.

"I just wanted to see if you were alright, I know Dale was important to you," he spoke softly moving to stand next to her.

"Yes he was but I'm fine," she answered sharply moving fast to hang the last of the clothes up, wanting to get away from him.

"Carol can we please talk?" his voice begging her but it barely got a reaction out of her; she had been here and done this before with Ed. He would beat her then be sorry, but she was done with it all.

"We have nothing to talk about," she replied coldly.

"Please Carol I just want my family back," he begged. "I love you." She couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud.

"Love?" she spat. "You don't know the first thing about loving someone," she hissed, grabbing the now empty basket and moving away from him but he grasped her arm with bruising strength, forcing her to look at him.

"Now hang on a minute, you think you can just walk away from me?," he spat. She jerked her arm free from him, knowing it would be bruised by tonight but ignoring the pain that shot through her arm when she jerked away.

"Why not? I did before the world went to hell," she spat.

"You came with me that day, bring us back together."

"Are you kidding me? I was scared for me and **my **daughter, the dead were rising and trying to eat the living… that was the only reason we got into the car with you that day," she informed him. "You and I are through and you would do well to remember that," she hissed turning to walk away from him again.

"You fucking bitch!" He yelled at her, she turned to look at him as he stepped closer. "Is this because of that fucking redneck? You think I don't see how you look at him? You know you're nothing more than a willing body for him, he'll never love you. You're just his fucking whore," he snarled at her but she just smiled.

"I would rather be his whore than your wife!" she hissed. She saw it coming as he raised his hand to hit her but then she saw the bow come into view over her shoulder aimed at Ed's head.

"Give me one reason not to kill you now," Daryl spat at him.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Ed stammered raising his hands in defeat and scampering away like the weasel he was. Carol shook her head at how pathetic he was, turning to face Daryl.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"What did you mean when you said you left him before the world went to hell?" he asked confused. She sighed taking a deep breath as they slowly walked back to the RV.

"About six months before the world went to hell Ed and I got into one of our many fights and to punish me, he hit Sophia and broke her arm, it was the one and only time he ever laid a hand on her and I left him. Moved Sophia and I into a small apartment a few towns over, I went back to teaching and filed for divorce," she told him stopping in front of the RV. He smiled proudly at her.

"You were a teacher?"

"Yeah I taught musical theatre."

"Really? He smiled surprised "Was that like plays or something?" She laughed sightly nodding.

"Kinda, its lots of things, plays, singing, dancing" she explained.

"What was your favourite?"

"Dancing for sure"

"Really" he smiled raising his eye brow "What kind of dancing?"

"All kinds," she laughed shaking her head at him "But to be honest dirty dance was always my favourite"

"Really?" he smirked and she laughed out loud.

"Like in the movie, I don't know I just always loved it"

"So if the world didn't go to shit you two would be divorced by now?" he asked more seriously.

"Well almost, there was a twelve month waiting period but I wasn't going back to him, hit me fine but touch my child and all bets are off." He smiled proudly at just how strong she really was, moving forward he cupped her cheek.

"By the way, you're not my whore," he told her shaking his head. "You're my woman," he whispered huskily, moving forward and pressing his lips to hers gently, not caring who saw. She couldn't help but smile up at him as they parted, but their once sweet moment was shattered at what they heard next.

"He's gone, Randall's gone," he heard T-Dog yell. They both moved fast, heading towards the barn.

"Sophia, Carl get in the house and stay there I mean it," Carol yelled following Daryl to the others.

"Cuffs are still hooked, he must have slipped out of them," they heard Rick say as he came out.

"Is that possible?" Carol asked feeling panic burn through her.

"It is if you have nothing to lose," Andrea sighed stepping out.

"Door was secure from the outside," Hershel pointed out, things just didn't add up but before she could say anything Shane came out of the bushes face bloody, screaming how Randall snuck up on him and hit him, took his gun.

"Alright Hershel, T-Dog get everybody back in the house, Glenn, Daryl come with us," Rick ordered, everyone started moving.

"Just let him go; that was the plan wasn't it to just let him go," Carol spoke trying to stay calm.

"The plan was to cut him loose far away from here, not on our front step with a gun," Rick replied. She knew he was right but she couldn't stop herself from reaching out and grabbing Daryl's arm.

"Don't go out there, you know what can happen," her voice begging. He cupped her cheek, kissing her on the forehead.

"I'll be fine woman, now get in the house and keep that little girl of yours safe, wait for me, I'll come back I promise." She nodded as he moved away with the other men.

"Get everybody back in the house, lock all the doors and stay put," Rick yelled as the others led them back towards the house. Carol prayed he would be alright but she knew right now Sophia had to be her main concern. Daryl would come back; he always did.


	8. Fighting to keep you safe

**A HUGE thank you to my beta Jaded79 for taking the time daily to go over my chapters, it means more to me then you know *hugs*. Hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think please.**

_Chapter 8_

_Fighting to keep you safe._

Carol stood in the Greene's house pacing, she was trying to stay calm but it have been a couple of hours since the men had ran into the woods to look for Randall and it was now dark and to top it off they had heard gun fire not long before. Carol had wanted to go out and look for them but she knew she couldn't leave Sophia who was now upstairs with Carl. She was just about to go out onto the porch to see if she could see them when Daryl and Glenn walked in. She couldn't help but sigh in relief and he smiled at her softly.

"Rick and Shane ain't back yet?" Daryl asked stopping to stand close to her.

"No," Lori replied.

"We heard shots."

"Maybe they found Randall," Lori suggested.

"We found him."

"Is he back in the shed?" Andrea asked stepping forward.

"He was a walker," Daryl informed them.

"Did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked.

"No, the weird thing is he wasn't bit," Glenn replied.

"His neck was broke," Daryl told them.

"So he fought back," Andrea guessed.

"Thing is Shane and Randall's track were right on top of each other and Shane ain't no tracker so he didn't come up behind him… no they were together," he tried his best to explain it was pretty clear what had really happened.

"Can you please just get back out there, find Rick and Shane and find out what the hell is going on?" Lori all but begged him.

"You got it," he nodded.

"Thank you." He moved for the front door when Carol's hand grasped his arm making him turn and face her.

"Please don't go back out there," she begged.

"I have to, Rick may be hurt."

"Rick is a big boy; he can take care of himself." He sighed, he could understand her fears but she had to understand why he had to go back out there.

"Look it's pretty clear what happened here, Shane took Randall out and killed him like he always wanted too and then led us out there with that bullshit story about being jumped. Now I don't know why but I know it has something to do with Rick," he explained. "He wanted Rick alone in those woods and I doubt it was to have a friendly chat."

"You don't think Shane would hurt Rick?" Lori gasped stepping towards them. "They're best friends."

"Are they? Because they haven't seemed too tight lately, something has come between them and I can bet you that is the reason Shane has led Rick out into those woods." Lori looked down ashamed, she knew she was the reason and her actions may have gotten her husband murdered. "Rick's a good man, you know I have to help him." Carol sighed knowing he was right.

"I hate it when you're right," she huffed.

"I'll be back, I promise," he whispered moving out the door with Glenn and Andrea following closely behind him but he stopped looking out into the darkness seeing walkers, hundreds of them everywhere.

"Patricia, kill the lights," Hershel spoke trying to keep his voice low.

"I'll get the guns," Andrea said moving into the house.

"Maybe they'll just pass like the herd on the highway, should we just go inside?" Glenn asked trying to be calm but sounding panicked.

"Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs I don't know about, a herd that size will rip the house down," Daryl replied.

"Carl's gone," Lori announced coming out of the house clearly panicked.

"What?" Daryl spun to face her, he shouldn't be surprised; the kid was always finding the worst time possible to run off.

"He was upstairs, I can't find him."

"Sophia," Carol called out; she came outside looking guiltily at her mum. "Have you seen Carl?"

"I promised not to tell," she whispered looking down.

"Sophia look at me," Daryl spoke; she stepped forward looking up at him. "We don't have time for this," he told her stepping aside so she could see the herd of walkers.

"Oh god," she gasped fearfully.

"Did he say where he was going?"

"To find his dad," she confessed.

"Alright good girl," he said standing. "We're going to go out and kill as many as we can, try and thin the herd."

"Lead the rest away from the farm," Andrea nodded.

"Daryl," Carol whispered hugging Sophia close.

"You get Lori in the car with you and Sophia and you drive, keep driving till morning then meet me at the highway where we left supplies for Sophia," he told her, stepping forward to grasp her arms. "If you get there and it's not safe, if there are walkers, don't wait for me. Just keep going, keep driving, keep safe and I'll find you." She nodded, tears burning her eyes.

"Take this," he said handing her a buck knife. She took it noting how heavy it felt in her hand.

"I'm not leaving without my boy," Lori said.

"You may not have a choice, stay as long as you can but if they get too close you have to go," he told her, kissing Carol on the cheek. "Stay close to your mama," he told Sophia who nodded before he took off into the dark.

They fought as hard and as long as they could before they realised it was pointless, there was just too many walkers and they were getting closer and closer to the house. Carol knew she needed to get Sophia to safety.

"We can't stay here," she said grabbing Lori, "we have to go."

"That's my boy," Lori sobbed.

"You're going to have to trust me. If we find him, he is going to need his mother, we've got to go," she yelled over Hershel's gun fire, dragging Lori to the stairs; she held Sophia close to her side.

They led Beth and Patricia with them, calling for Hershel who was too busy to hear their cries. They knew they had no choice but to leave him. They ran down the stairs and towards where T-Dog and Andrea had just pulled up, but suddenly someone grabbed Sophia. Turning, she saw it was Ed.

"Ed let her go," she yelled pulling on Sophia's arm.

"No, you're both coming with me, you're my wife and she is my daughter and I would rather see you both dead than with that fucking redneck, no one takes what is mine," he hissed.

"Let her go, I'm warning you," she spat.

"You're warning me?" he laughed. "What are you going to do huh?" She moved fast pulling the buck knife from her waistband and slamming it into his arm. He wailed in pain, letting go of Sophia as she jerked the knife from his flesh. He moved to grab them again but Lori raised her gun and pointed it at his face.

"I will blow your fucking brains out!" she warned him and he backed off quickly.

"This isn't over," he snarled as he ran in the other direction, weaving through walkers and disappearing into the darkness.

"Come on," Lori yelled and they ran for the truck. Carol looked back when she heard screams fill the night air to see Patricia being bitten into and Beth grasped her arm.

"Don't look," she told Sophia as she moved for the car. Lori ripped Beth from Patricia's grasp getting to the car. Carol handed Sophia to Andrea and ushered Lori and Beth into the car. Andrea raised her gun over Carol's shoulder and shot a walker that was far too close. Carol turned her head seeing two more almost on her, kicking one back she slammed the truck door locking the others with Sophia inside, stabbing the other in the skull and dropping it.

"Get her out of here," she screamed to them as she ran off into the night.

"_Keep going, keep running, don't look back, don't get bit, keep going, keep running, don't look back, don't get bit," _these thoughts kept going over and over in her head as she ran through the open field, she could hear every desperate breath she took and her heart hammered in her ears, her feet slapping on the hard ground.

She could hear them getting closer and closer, she tried to push harder and make herself go faster but her legs were burning and she knew she was slowing down. When she felt cold dead fingers graze her shirt she couldn't stop the scream that ripped from her throat and it gave her the momentum she needed to move that little bit faster.

Daryl sat on his bike watching as the barn burned, he decided to wait there till early morning and make sure no one was left behind. Then he would go to the highway and meet up with Carol and Sophia, he just prayed they had done what he said and not waited too long to get off the farm. When he heard Carol's scream rip though the cold night he knew his prayers had not been answered, gunning his bike he took off towards her scream.

He drove up the dirt road seeing her running across the field alone with a group of walkers chasing closely behind her. Raising his bow, he shot one in the head that got too close to her and she ran for the bike.

"Come on, we don't got all day," he yelled to her as she jumped on the back of the bike wrapping her arms around his waist tightly. He pulled away just in time and drove away from the gathering walkers.

They drove through the dirt roads, he could feel her sobbing into his back and he just hoped Sophia was safe. She held onto him tightly. The sun was starting to come up but it was foggy and with it being a dirt road it made it hard to see. Walkers were coming out from everywhere as he weaved through them, he knew he couldn't stop to comfort her and make sure she was alright, he had to get her to safety.

The sun was now up and they weren't far from the highway but Daryl wanted to make sure she was alright first, she was still sobbing quietly into his back. Coming to a clearing, he pulled the bike over and quickly got off turning to look at her.

"Are you alright? Did you get bit or scratched?"

"No, no I'm alright." He looked her over anyway, but when he saw her blood covered hands he felt dread burn through him.

"Whose blood is that?"

"Ed's… he tried to take Sophia from me, tried to drag us into the woods, I had no choice, I stabbed him in the arm to make him let her go and Lori pointed her gun at him… he said this wasn't over," she sobbed trying to catch her breath but the events of the night were finally catching up with her.

"Where is Sophia?" he asked scared of her answer. "Did she…," he asked but couldn't finish his question.

"No, she's fine… I put her in the car with T-dog, Andrea, Lori and Beth," she told him. "But there were walkers everywhere, Andrea shot one and I kick one down and stabbed another but if I tried to get in the truck I would have been bit and it would have put Sophia at risk so I slammed the truck door and told them to get her out of there and I ran, I just kept running," she cried rambling frantically.

"It's alright, you're alright now and you did so well, you kept you and your little girl safe." Daryl held her close as she sobbed into his chest letting the events of the night go. Once she was calm he got back on the bike and headed for the highway and to Sophia.

He pulled the bike up near Rick, Hershel and Carl. The others pulled up near him, Lori ran from the car grabbing Carl and holding him tightly. That's when he saw Andrea get out of the car with Sophia in her arms; putting the girl down, Sophia ran towards them, running to them. Daryl dropped to his knees holding her as she cried surprising himself as much as Carol but she was soon there with them hugging them together, as a family.

"Oh mama I was so scared, I thought I had lost you," she sobbed in their arms.

"I'm okay sweetie, I'm just so glad you were safe." Pulling apart they stood. "Thank you so much Andrea," Carol whispered stepping forward to hug her before stepping back.

"You really scared us," Andrea sighed; thankfully she was alright.

"Where'd you find everyone?" Rick asked standing to face them all.

"Saw these guys taillights zig zagging all over the road, figured it had to be Asian driving like that," Daryl spoke trying to lighten the mood.

"Good one," Glenn nodded laughing softly.

"Where's the rest of us?" Daryl asked noticing a few people missing.

"We're the only ones who made it so far," Rick sighed.

"Shane?" Lori asked but Rick shook his head confirming the worst; she felt her heart break a little at the loss.

"Patricia?" Hershel asked.

"They got her too," Beth sobbed, "took her right from me I was… I was holding on to her daddy." She cried into his chest as Maggie rubbed her back trying to comfort her.

"What about Jimmy? Did you see Jimmy?" Beth asked sounding panicked.

"He was in the RV, it got overrun," Rick confirmed causing Beth to sob harder.

"What about Ed?" T-dog spoke up, he hated the man but he noticed he was missing.

"He attacked Sophia and I, we got away but he just took off," Carol replied.

"Way too many walkers there, no way he got off the farm alive," Daryl said.

"So daddy's dead?" Sophia asked looking up at Carol.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Carol whispered looking down at her blue eyes.

"At least he can't hurt you anymore mama." Carol wanted to cry at her little girl's words but instead she just held her close.

"We've got to keep moving, there's walkers crawling all over here," Rick spoke up.

"I say we head east," T-dog suggested.

"Stay off the main roads, the bigger the roads the more walkers, more assholes like this one," Daryl said grabbing his bow and pointing it at the walker stumbling towards them. "I got him," he said firing the arrow as it shot through the walker's head putting it down.

Moving over, he pulled the arrow free and they all piled in the cars, he told Carol and Sophia to ride with Rick, Lori and Carl that way he would know they were safe but he made sure to ride beside them at all times. He was worried, worried for the group and worried for his two girls.

He didn't like the uncertainty and the fact that they had no safe haven, no shelter but he promised himself to find them somewhere safe to bunker down and until then he would do what he had to, to keep them safe and alive.


	9. A safe place to lay our heads

**A big thanks to Jaded79 for being awesome as always and going over this chapter for me. Hope you all enjoy and let me know if you love it or hate it?**

_Chapter 9_

_Safe place to lay our heads._

Carol wanted to slap herself; so much had happened since they fled the farm. Rick had confirmed what they all expected, Shane had killed Randall and led them out into the woods to kill Rick, saying he was a better leader than him and for other reasons Rick didn't really want to go into. She had seen the way Lori had jerked away from Rick after they had a private talk alone and Carol couldn't help but wonder if Lori herself is what had come between the two men.

The biggest blow had been when Rick told them Shane had turned even without being bitten; he had told them how Jenner from the CDC had told him they were all infected. Whatever this was, they all carried it. There had been gasps of shock, people asking why he would keep that to himself, people sounding so hurt. Carol herself had yelled at him, telling him he had no right to keep such a thing from them, he had tried to explain he had no reason to believe Jenner was telling the truth, the guy was a nut. She knew he was right but she couldn't help but be angry.

As they sat around the fire that night, cold and exposed, she held her little girl to her, rocking her and trying to warm her. She looked at Daryl and all but begged for him to get them out of there, that they couldn't trust Rick and that they were better for on their own but he had shaken his head; telling her they weren't going anywhere, Rick was a good man, a man of honour and he was going to stand beside him.

She knew he was right, she knew she was acting silly but she was just so scared, scared for Sophia and scared for the group. Now she sat there, her daughter sleeping, head resting in her lap. They had one blanket between them but she had wrapped Sophia up in it. Carol looked up at the wall where Daryl sat, still refusing to look at her. She couldn't blame him for being so angry at her; she had gone on like a fool.

An hour later, she watched as Rick rose from his spot with Glenn and headed over to relieve Daryl and T-Dog. Everyone else was sleeping but she knew no matter how much she tried, sleep for her tonight would not come. She heard him stop behind her and looked up at him. She patted a spot next to her on the ground hoping he would join them. He sighed before putting his bow down and sitting beside her, draping his blanket over the both of them.

"I'm sorry," she whispered looking at him. He sighed nodding his head. "You're right, Rick is a good man and he made the right decision not telling us about the virus being in all of us. He had no way of knowing for sure it was true and telling everyone would have just caused panic… it's just, I think of this virus, this disease being inside my little girl and knowing there is nothing I can do about it… scares the hell out of me," she explain moving forward. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, cupping her cheek.

"I know it's scary but it doesn't change anything, we still go on, we still fight to survive to not get bit or scratched cause even though we carry it, it can't hurt us."

"But it can," she sighed tears burning her eyes. "It means no matter what, whether we die from a bite or natural causes, we will turn; Sophia will turn and become one of those monsters and someone will have to…." Sobs cut her off choking her at the thought of someone having to shoot her daughter to put her down.

"Hey, hey look at me," he said tilting her chin and making her look at him. "I know it's scary but you can't think about it, you need to go on like it's any other day and leave all that behind, I will keep you both safe, I promise you," he whispered. She nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. He moved forward kissing her gently before pulling back.

"Come on woman time to sleep," he said moving to lay them both down. Carol snuggled Sophia to her front making sure she was facing the fire so she stayed warm. Daryl cuddled into her back kissing her neck, "I know it's hard but sleep, please I need you alert tomorrow."

"I'll try," she promised, "and I'll apologise to Rick in the morning."

"I'm sure he understands, goodnight woman."

"Goodnight Daryl," she whispered allowing her eyes to close now knowing and feeling safe wrapped up in his arms. When she woke in the morning, Daryl was already up and out hunting. Sitting up, Sophia opened her eyes and looked at her.

"Morning mamma," she smiled. Carol couldn't help but smile back.

"Morning baby," she kissed her forehead softly, standing to pat the dirt off her legs she saw Lori and Carl together across the other side of the fire.

"Mum I'm hungry," Sophia said standing next to her mother.

"I know sweetie, I think Daryl has gone hunting so it won't be long." Sophia nodded moving to sit next to Carl as the two talked and she moved to sit beside Lori.

"How are you this morning?" Carol asked sitting beside the woman.

"Tired, couldn't sleep properly last night," Lori sighed rubbing her face.

"Yeah I know the feeling," Carol nodded. "Do you know what the plan is this morning?"

"No Rick and I… well we're not talking at the moment," Lori sighed briefly looking at Rick then back at the ground.

"Because of Shane?" Carol asked softly not wanting the children to hear. Lori's head jerked up in surprise.

"You know?"

"It wasn't hard to figure out… you know he had no choice right? Shane led him out there to murder him," Carol reasoned.

"He wanted to kill him," Lori spat.

"Well the man slept with his wife, I imagine most husbands would feel the same way."

"I thought Rick was dead," Lori tried to defend her actions.

"I know and Rick forgave you but you can't forgive him from defending himself?" Lori couldn't answer; instead she just looked at the ground ashamed. "It sounds to me like Shane took Rick out there to murder him so he could get you back, be the husband, the father, the leader and even after he made that clear, Rick still tried to get him to walk away… Shane left him little choice, whether he wanted Shane dead or not seems irrelevant," Carol said standing from her seat and moving away. She heard Lori start to cry softly and just hoped she had made her see sense.

"Rick, could I have a word?" she asked softly.

"What?" he barked, turning to face her. She knew he had every reason to be upset with her so she decided to ignore his tone.

"I wanted to apologise for how I went off yesterday, I was out of line." She heard him sigh but decided to continue anyway. "I was just scared knowing we all carry it, I was… I am so scared for Sophia; I'm sure as a parent you can understand." He nodded moving forward to touch her arm reassuringly.

"It's alright Carol, I understand and thank you." She smiled softly nodding.

"I know it's none of my business but when it comes to Shane, you did the right thing… he had been losing it for a while and was a danger to us all, you had every right to defend yourself."

"I didn't want to kill him," he whispered looking down.

"I know that," she said touching his hand trying to give him comfort. "But he was going to kill you, you had to defend yourself and I can see it's eating you up inside… don't let it." He looked up nodding, eyes glassy.

"I wish Lori understood like you," he sighed looking over at his wife.

"Give her time, she'll come around." He nodded looking out into the open area. He saw Daryl returning with a string of squirrels and rabbits on his belt and a caped woman with two chained walkers.

"Oh my god," Carol gasped seeing them coming towards them.

"Stay here with the kids," he told her. She nodded running over to Sophia and Carl keeping them both at her side. "T-Dog, Andrea," Rick called directing them to follow him to Daryl, weapons drawn at the two walkers.

"Daryl?" Rick asked stopping in front of them.

"It's alright," Daryl reassured. "This is Michonne and her two friends."

"Friends?" Andrea couldn't help but almost laugh.

"I got pinned down by five walkers in there, Michonne saved my ass," he told them.

"Then we are in your debt," Rick told her. She nodded pulling the hood from her face.

"A hot breakfast and we can call it even," she spoke for the first time.

"Of course," Rick nodded as they headed back to the camp. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave them there; we have two small children in the group." She nodded tying the walkers to one of the stone walls before moving to join everyone around the fire.

The women whipped up a hot stew using the rabbits and squirrels Daryl had caught and tin vegetables Carol had brought with her. Once she had realised they may have to leave the farm, she had grabbed what she could: tin food, sauces, rice, pasta, disposable plates, blankets and medical supplies; she was the only one who had thought to do so. Daryl couldn't help but smile proudly when she had showed everyone what she had managed to put into the car when they had first seen the walkers coming.

"I have to ask, what is with the walkers?" T-Dog asked pointing at them.

"They smell," she replied simply.

"No kidding I can smell them from here."

"I have been alone since things started going bad and I figured out pretty fast that part of the reason they recognise us as food is because we don't smell like they do," she explained. "So I removed their jaw, teeth and arms so they couldn't hurt me, covered myself with the cape and I can move through large herds unrecognised."

"Gross," Glenn said thinking of the day him and Rick had covered themselves in walker blood, guts and parts to get through a herd. "Smart but gross." She smiled softly as she continued to eat her meal.

"Michonne is heading towards a prison about forty minutes from here, she has offered for us to join her, tall stone walls, bars on all the windows, not to mention a ton of canned food, bedding, beds, hot running water…" Daryl said but Rick cut him off.

"Wait, how do you know they have all this? For all we know it could be crawling with walkers."

"My best friend Tyrese is a guard there, well was, when things got bad I called him, they were letting everyone go and he was going to stay there, lock the place down… he wanted me to head there, said it was safe and they had heaps of supplies, generators, beds, security, food, weapons… if Tyrese says it's safe, then it's safe," she reassured them.

"What do you think?" Rick asked Daryl.

"I think it's a good idea." Rick nodded, agreeing.

"Alright, we finish breakfast and then head out." Everyone nodded in agreement. Once they finished breakfast, they quickly packed up everything and headed off. Holding Sophia close to her side, Carol looked out the window at Daryl beside them on his bike and hoped this would be the sanctuary they so desperately needed.


	10. I am yours and you are mine

**Big thank you to Jaded79 for beta-ing this chapter for me. Hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think.**

_Chapter 10_

_I am yours and you are mine._

Almost an hour later they pulled up out in front of the prison. Michonne was right; it looked very secure and they hadn't seen many walkers on their trip out there. Rick, Daryl and Michonne headed towards the gate when five men came out all carrying weapons pointed right at them.

"We don't want any trouble alright, so why don't you lot turn around and go elsewhere," the large dark man said to them. Michonne stepped forward removing her hood.

"Tyrese, it's me."

"Michonne," his voice whispered in shock, "You're alive," he gasped holstering his gun and hugging her tightly.

"Of course I'm alive, just took me longer to get here then I hoped." She smiled stepping back.

"Lower your weapons," he commanded his men as they lowered their guns. "This is Michonne, my best friend… when you didn't arrive in the first few weeks I thought for sure you were dead."

"Come on you know better than that," she smiled as he laughed and nodded. "Between my car breaking down, herds, troublesome people, it turned into a longer trip, had to walk a lot of the way."

"You're crazy, how did you survive?" he asked surprised. He knew Michonne was tough but walking long distance with walkers around was dangerous.

"I'll explain later, this is Rick; he is the leader of this group and Daryl, their hunter." The men nodded. "They were good enough to feed me this morning and drive me here… they're good people, trustworthy people," she promised him.

"I apologise about the guns before, but you can't be too careful nowadays and we have had the worst kind show up here and try and take the prison by force… we lost some good men in those raids," Tyrese explained.

"Well that's not who we are," Rick reassured him. "Although we would be eternally grateful to have a safe haven to bunker down for a while if you have the room," Rick said hoping the man could help keep the group safe.

"We have the room and if you were good enough to help Michonne, then I'm happy to help."

"You have no idea how grateful we are, we have women and children with us and my wife is pregnant, it will be great to get them off the road," Rick sighed in relief. Tyrese nodded smiling.

"Why don't you drive your cars in and I'll show you around." Once they parked the cars in the prison yard they started to unpack. Tyrese had two of the previous guards show the others where to put their stuff and where the rooms and bedding was, while he talked to Michonne, Rick, Daryl and Hershel in the common room.

"So what happened here?" Rick asked trying to get a bit of a back story.

"Well after things got bad and we realized what was going on out there, we let the prisoners out and gave them a choice to leave or stay, most left but a few who had no family decided to stay… after a couple of weeks some returned, guards and prisoners, some even brought their families, realising the world was lost we locked down the prison only going out when we absolutely have to, to hunt, for clothes, special medical needs."

"You had much trouble here?" Daryl asked.

"We have walkers blow through every other day but usually they are in small numbers and pass us unawares to our presence here, although we had a herd come once but we were able to lead them away with the cars," he explained. "But it's been humans who have been the biggest problem, coming and wanting to take over the prison, attacking at night. As I said, we lost a few good people but mostly we are alright."

"I was a sheriff's deputy so I have to ask… your inmates…" Tyrese sighed, nodding.

"Most aren't bad guys just made bad choices; robbery, grand theft auto but we do have a couple of more colourful characters. One is the older man over there, he has been here for twenty years for three murders but I will say in his time here he has accepted his mistakes and has shown regret and compassion. He generally keeps to himself anyway but the one to watch out for is Jerry," he said looking at a man in his twenties sitting at a table alone. "He has been here about a year, he is a serial rapist and he can be a real smart mouth."

"We'll make sure the women and children don't go anywhere alone," Hershel spoke up and they all nodded in agreement.

Once Carol had finished unpacking their stuff and setting up their room, she asked Andrea to watch Sophia so she could have a look at the kitchen. Moving through the dining area, she saw no one around so she moved into the large industrial kitchen and almost wept in joy.

Silver counter tops, cupboards stacked with pots and pans, plates, cups, cutlery, and all the cooking utensils she would need to make a great meal. Opening the pantry, she saw the shelves were lined with tinned food, fruit and vegetables. She assumed the vegetables must be from a garden on the grounds. There were also bottles of water and lots more. She shut the pantry door smiling happily.

"Hi." She spun surprised; one hand over her chest and the other covered her mouth to stop herself from gasping out in shock. "Sorry didn't mean to scare you," the man said. He was no taller than Daryl, with dirty brown hair, green eyes and pasty white skin.

"That's alright, just a bit jumpy I guess," she sighed trying to keep a smile on her face but honestly she didn't like the way his eyes racked over her body.

"Understandable with everything you lot have been through… were you on the road long?," he asked moving into the kitchen more.

"Not really, couple of days, before that we were at Hershel's farm but it got over run."

"You lost people?"

"A few people," she nodded.

"I'm so sorry," he sighed leaning against the kitchen bench stepping even closer to her. Carol stepped back a little uneasy.

"Thank you."

"I'm Jerry by the way," he introduced himself extending his hand to her.

"Carol," she replied moving to shaking his hand but he grasped one hand in hers and kissed the top of her hand. She slipped her hand from his quickly, feeling shivers run up her spine but not wanting to seem rude.

"So are you here alone?"

"Alone?"

"Yeah, do you have any family in the group?"

"My daughter Sophia."

"Oh the pretty little blonde girl?" She nodded silently, seeing the shine is his eye when he mentioned Sophia. She had seen that look before in Ed's eyes and she knew in that moment this man had that same sickness in him. "And her dad, where is he?"

"He is right here." Carol almost sighed in relief seeing Daryl standing in the doorway.

"Daryl right? I'm Jerry," he turned extending his hand to him; Daryl looked at it like it was the most disgusting thing he had ever seen.

"I know who you are and why you were put here before the world turned to shit," Daryl snarled at him.

"Is that right?" Jerry smirked.

"That is right so let's make things clear, I despise rapists, for me you're somewhere between a cockroach and dog shit on the bottom of my shoe, you make me sick… so stay away from my daughter and my wife," he warned. Jerry nodded moving past Daryl and into the dining room.

"I was just talking to her," Jerry said turning one last time to look at Daryl.

"Don't… she is off bounds even just for talking, I see you touch her, talk to her, hell even look in her general direction and I will not hesitate to shoot one of my arrows through your thick skull." Daryl thought for a moment he actually saw Jerry smirk but he turned and left before he could say anything. "What were you thinking wandering around alone?" he snapped turning to face Carol.

"I'm sorry Tyrese said once I unpacked I could check out the kitchen," she sighed looking down.

"Shit, I'm sorry love," he sighed feeling bad for yelling at her when she didn't know about Jerry and his past. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly. "You just have to be careful, some of the guys here have colourful pasts so no wandering off alone always go in pairs and the kids are never to be alone." She nodded as they stepped apart.

"Daryl, did I hear you call him a rapist?" she asked looking him in the eyes.

"Yeah he is a serial rapist so please promise me, no wandering off alone?"

"I promise," she whispered. "One last thing… did you call me your wife and Sophia your daughter?" Daryl shuffled a little, mouth opening and closing before he found his words.

"Well I mean… Sophia is basically mine, she needs a dad and I care about her, so it makes sense." She nodded agreeing. "And well I… I… he would be more likely to keep his distance if he thinks we are married." She felt hurt, she truly thought for a moment that he thought of her as his wife, it was silly she knew, they hadn't been together long and had only shared a few kisses and nothing else.

"Yeah of course," she sighed nodding.

"Come on woman, show me our room." He watched her walk out of the kitchen and couldn't help but feel like an idiot, he loved her, wanted her, needed her and he knew he would marry her in the old world. But was stuff like that still important? He wasn't sure, maybe he would talk to Rick about it; but for now she was his and he was hers and all that mattered is that they were together.


	11. Aching to touch you

**Big thank you to everyone for reading so far, also huge thanks to Jaded79 for taking the time to beta this for me. Warning: Sexual situation. Enjoy and let me know if you loved or hated **

_Chapter 11_

_Aching to touch you._

One week had passed since their arrival at the prison. So far things were going well, there had been no run-ins between the two groups and Jerry had kept his distance from both Carol and Sophia.

A few days after arriving at the prison, Glenn and Daryl had made a run into town for more winter clothes; thicker, warmer bedding; medical supplies; food, water and more; whatever they would need to see them through winter. Although the prison already had a lot of supplies they figured it would be better safe than sorry and as Tyrese had pointed out, the prison could get ice cold in the dead of winter.

On the supply run, Daryl had stopped at a hunting goods store, scooping up all the weapons left behind, which wasn't a lot – a few small guns, one shot gun and a few boxes of ammo but the best find had been two woman's crossbows with about ten arrows each. He smiled grabbing them both; they would be perfect for Carol and Sophia. They had both started learning self-defence with Michonne who had offered to teach anyone who wanted to learn but Daryl wanted them to know how to use weapons too.

When he had first given them the bows, Carol had smiled looking excited but Sophia just looked confused. Then she had asked him why they didn't just use a gun and he explained bows were quieter and should you lose your arrows, you can make more easily enough; but one day they would run out of bullets and they were not easy to make. She nodded understanding.

Now Daryl stood in the hot shower, he had just returned from a hunt. He had seen Carol in the kitchen with Lori, Sophia and Maggie and after dropping off his kills, he headed to their room to clean up. Turning off the hot spray, he wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom and into their room, locking the door behind him.

He looked up surprised to see Carol with her back to him clearly looking for something. She hadn't heard him come in so when she turned after finding Sophia's hair tie, she was surprised to see a half-naked Daryl standing behind her. She felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of him. His hair was wet and floppy; water droplets shimmered and ran down his rippled chest and arms being soaked up by the white fluffy towel that was tied around his waist. Realizing she was staring, she quickly turned.

"Sorry," she whispered with her back now to him, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

He couldn't help but smirk at her discomfort. It occurred to him then that they hadn't been intimate together aside from the occasional few kisses. It wasn't their fault, they had barely gotten things started between them on the farm when all hell broke loose and then for the first couple of days they were on the road. And since arriving at the prison, they hadn't had two seconds alone between hunting, supply trips, training and Sophia.

He moved towards her, pressing his wet chest against her barely covered back as she wore a little black singlet. He felt her shiver at the feel of his skin on hers and couldn't help but smirk. Running his hands down her bare arms, she sighed loving the feel of his hands on her. He kissed her bare shoulder, moving upwards leaving wet kisses on her neck and up behind her ear.

"It occurs to me that we haven't had two minutes alone since this thing between us started," he whispered huskily in her ear. She didn't say a word, she couldn't; she was burning too hot for him. She had thought about this moment more than once, but with how crazy their lives had gotten, she'd wondered if it would ever come.

His hands moved to lift her top over her head and she didn't hesitate in lifting her arms to let him. Unclasping her bra, he pushed it off her shoulders and let it tumble to the floor. His hand came back up cupping her soft mounds and squeezing them softly. She moaned in delight. He loved hearing her moans, he was rock hard under his towel and she could feel it poking her in the back but before she could turn to look at him, he unbuttoned her pants and slipped a hand inside.

Daryl touched her in ways no other man ever had. He had touched her with his hands and his warm mouth, he touched her softly, delicately, like she was special, precious. He looked at her like she was an angel and a vixen all rolled into one girl shaped package. He left her thrashing, gasping and moaning in need and made her reach highs she didn't even know existed. She screamed his name in her realise.

"DARYL!" She wailed, as the waves of pleasure started to subside she felt Daryl remove his mouth from her nub and withdraw his fingers from her tight quim, she couldn't help but whimper at the loss.

Removing his towel, he moved up her body, positioning himself between her open thighs and he looked down at her lovingly. She could feel his hardened member nudging at her entrance waiting for permission to enter; she was moments from lifting her hips in a silent welcome when someone banged loudly at the door.

"Mama, are you okay?" They heard Sophia ask from the other side of the door. Daryl was so thankful at that moment that he had locked the door behind him. Carol tried to calm her breathing before answering.

"I'm fine Sophia, I'll be there in a minute," she yelled over Daryl who now had his head on her shoulder sighing at the interruption.

"I thought I heard you scream." Carol felt her cheeks burn as Daryl lifted his head to smirk proudly at her.

"I just kicked my toe; I'll meet you in the kitchen in a minute sweetie."

"Okay," Sophia replied before they heard her wander off.

"Kicked your toe huh?" Daryl smiled.

"Oh shut up, what did you want me to say? I just had the best orgasm in my whole life, she's a bit young to be hearing that," Carol laughed.

"The best huh?," he asked raising his eyebrow but instead of replying she pulled him down for a hard kiss. She was hoping to finish what they started but when he pulled back and got up to dress she felt disappointment fill her.

"What about you?" she sighed sitting up next to him.

"When I'm with you I don't need to get off to feel pleasure," he told her pulling his pants on as she dressed too. Once they were both dressed, he moved forward cupping her face with both hands. "Just watching you get off is all the pleasure I need… for now," he smiled kissing her one last time before leaving the room.

She couldn't believe it, he enjoyed seeing her orgasm? With Ed it had always been about his own sexual gratification, and truth was they hadn't been sexual for years. Daryl was amazing and he managed to stun her at every turn but whether he was happy just seeing her pleasured or not, she needed and wanted more, to give him more. Maybe Lori would watch Sophia for the night; a smile on her face as she went to find Lori and ask her just that.


	12. Taking me gently

**Huge thanks to Jaded79 for beta-ing this chapter for me. So let me know what you think, any good?**

_Chapter 12_

_Taking me gently. _

After getting herself straightened up, she headed back into the kitchen to see Lori who was there now alone. Taking a breath, she moved into the kitchen smiling shyly at the other woman as she moved to continue her work.

"Everything alright?" Carol looked up at Lori's question.

"Of course, why?"

"Well you were gone a little while and Sophia said she heard you scream, something about kicking your toe," Lori couldn't help but smirk.

"Oh yeah, Daryl's always leaving his stuff lying around," Carol replied trying to sound flip but she could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Ah huh," Lori laughed softly before returning to her task at hand.

"Where is Sophia?"

"Oh Hershel came by and asked her and Carl if they wanted to help him and Beth in the garden, I said it was fine, hope that's alright."

"Of course," Carol smiled before turning back to finish preparing lunch.

She couldn't focus, she wanted to ask Lori if Sophia could have a sleep over so Daryl and she could have a night alone but she didn't know how to bring the subject up. She had always been a very private and reserved person… well Ed had made her that way, she was at one time open and outgoing. Deciding that spending the night with your man was nothing to be embarrassed about, she turned to face Lori.

"Um Lori…" Lori turned to face her. "I was wondering… well the thing is…," she stammered and Lori couldn't help but smile. She knew what Carol was going to ask and as much fun as she was having watching Carol nervously stumble over her own words, Lori figured she would put her out of her misery.

"Oh by the way Carl wanted to know if Sophia could have a sleep over tonight, I think they are feeling overcrowded with having to be escorted everywhere so we are going to corner off a section of the room with a sheet for them if that's alright?" Lori spoke casually turning to finish her task needing to hide the smirk that was forming.

"Oh that would be great…. I mean for the kids." Carol was cheering inwardly, excited about spending her first night alone with Daryl.

That night Carol sat with Lori and the kids eating dinner. Daryl and Rick were on watch and just like most times when Daryl wasn't around, Jerry sat one table over watching her intensely. She knew she should say something to Daryl but she honestly didn't want to cause any problems and so far all he did was stare; he hadn't approached her since that first night in the kitchen.

"You alright Carol?" Lori asked looking at her.

"Yeah fine," she spoke softly looking down. Lori looked around realising what was making Carol feel uncomfortable and she could understand. Rick had warned her about Jerry and his past.

"Something we can help you with Jerry?" Lori asked turning to look at him. Carol looked up surprised at Lori putting him on the stop.

"Well dinners a little bland to be honest," he sneered.

"You don't like it, then next time you can make your own, how about that?" Lori snapped back at him but before he could reply to her, a guard near him leaned over and slapped him hard upside the head.

"Shut your trap boy!," he hissed before looking up at Lori and Carol. "Dinner is beautiful ladies, pay no mind to him, we are grateful for you taking the time to cook it aren't we?" He spat looking at Jerry.

"Yes Sir," Jerry mumbled looking down at his plate.

"Thank you Thomas," Lori smiled at the guard before turning back to her meal.

"Keep your eyes on your meal and nothing else Jerry," Thomas warned him. Carol smiled trying not to giggle.

"You're terrible," she laughed softly at Lori.

"Oh please, he deserved it." Lori smiled laughing softly herself. Once they finished eating, Carol cleared everyone's plates and moved into the kitchen to start cleaning up when Lori and Maggie came in.

"Carol why don't you call it a night, Daryl will finish his watch soon and we can handle this really," Lori smiled at her.

"Are you sure?," she asked drying her hands on the tea towel.

"Of course, get out of here," Maggie ordered her; she nodded heading for the door.

"Have a good night," Lori giggled but Carol just smiled and headed for their room to get ready.

Daryl was finally finished with his watch. He had been on watch since lunch time and while it had been mostly uneventful, he found it so boring he almost craved something exciting to happen. But he knew with excitement something bad usually followed, so he was happy enough with boring.

Reaching the room, he smiled seeing the light inside it on, knowing Carol must be there already. What he would give for them to have a night alone together. Not that he didn't like Sophia; hell, he loved her, she was like his own daughter now but he craved some time alone with her mother.

Walking into the room, he shut and locked the door behind him turning and stopping dead in his tracks. He saw Carol sitting on the edge of their bed one leg dangling over the edge and the other sitting up slightly on a small stool that sat next to their bed. She wore only his leather angel wing vest, one of the few times he hadn't put it on and he was thankfully he hadn't.

"Honey, you're home," she smiled coyly, standing from her place on the bed she moved towards him, her hips swaying seductively, the vest barely covering her bare lower half and the vest unbuttoned showing off just the slightest part of her two firm mounds.

"Where's Sophia?" he asked looking around. She pressed up against him, taking his bow she put it onto the floor before placing her hands flat on his chest looking up at him seductively.

"She is having a sleep over with Carl," she smiled before continuing. "Looks like it's just you and me." He smirked down at her loving the saucy tone of her voice and the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Looks like," he whispered huskily, leaning down and kissing her softly but passionately. Running his hands down her back he gripped her bare behind and lifted her eagerly. She wrapped her legs around him eagerly, as he moved towards the bed they never broke their kiss. They were in for one hell of a night, after a passion filled encounter, he rolled them onto their sides and pulled the blanket up to cover them, sliding an arm around her small waist and pulling her close. Daryl took a deep breath, inhaling her scent, enjoying the feel of having her in his arms.

"I love you," she whispered softly, so soft he only just heard her. Turning her to face him, he looked at her stunned. "I don't expect you to say it back, I just wanted you to know," she smiled shyly.

"I love you too woman," he replied cupping her cheek and kissing her softly. "Now get some sleep." She smiled, her heart beaming with joy, he loved her too; she had never heard anything sweeter than his admission of love. Sighing into his chest, she let sleep overtake her as she slept deep and peacefully for the first time in a long time.


	13. Dance for me

**A huge thanks to Jaded79 for going over this chapter for me. Hope you all enjoy and let me know what you though.**

_Chapter 13_

_Dance for me._

A week had passed since her hot and heavy night with Daryl. They had spent as much time alone together as possible; taking to showering together after Sophia had gone to sleep, finding small empty offices. There had even been one night in the kitchen when Carol had been in there alone cleaning up, they just couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Daryl was on watch at the moment and Sophia was in the garden with Carl helping Hershel, Carol moved from the kitchen and was heading for her room when she rounded the corner and ran right in the Tyrese. Jumping back startled, she couldn't stop the gasp that left her mouth.

"Tyrese, you scared me," she sighed trying to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry Carol, I forget how quietly I tend to walk, I guess I should hum or something," he smiled. She just laughed softly, nodded. "I was actually coming to find you."

"Oh, is everything alright?" she replied surprised that he was looking for her.

"Yeah it's just one of Thomas's wife Jenny heard your daughter Sophia telling their little girl that you used to do musical theatre, plays, singing, dancing."

"That's right, I studied musical theatre in college and was a teacher for many years myself," Carol nodded.

"Will you come with me?"

"Sure," she smiled following him down the hall and around the corner, he led her into a room that was lined with mirrors and dancing poles. "Oh wow I have no idea you had a dance area on the grounds," she gasped looking around the open area.

"Well it isn't, it was used as a refection room for the inmates, a type of therapy the shrink did here, forcing them to face themselves and their crimes but when we heard you taught ballet the kids and women got excited and asked us to fix some poles to the walls in hopes you would teach them," he explained.

"Me? Well I mean I haven't taught in a life time," she blushed feeling nervous and unsure.

"The way Sophia told it, you're quite amazing and I think it's really something the kids and ladies would look forward to, something fun to do, to keep them busy… it would mean the world to them."

"Alright, I would love to," she smiled agreeing.

"Oh thank you Carol, they are going to be so glad to hear it," he smiled. "There is a stereo with a stack of CDs." She nodded as he walked out, looking around, she removed her jacket and moved over to the stereo and put on a CD and started to stretch and warm up.

Daryl found the dance room right where Tyrese said it was. He smiled watching her, eyes closed as she moved slowly and gracefully. She was truly talented and so beautiful and from the smile on her face, she looked truly happy. Moving into the room, he closed the door and locked it; her eyes shot open at the sound of the clicking close.__

"Daryl…," she gasped slightly startled, seemed everyone wanted to scare her today but he said nothing.

Moving across the room, he pulled her flush against him, swaying softly with her to the music. Then he moved kissing her lips, her cheek, her neck. Sucking her earlobe into his mouth, he bit it lightly before letting it slip from his teeth.

"Dance for me," he whispered huskily in her ear as they began to sway together.

She moved slowly, gracefully, sensually, sexually, rubbing agenising causing his to growl in her ear. His arms still around her, she turned to face him, she could feel him growing rock hard against her behind as she swayed sensually into his groin, he grasped her hips growling into her ear and turning her to face him. He smashed his lips down onto hers.

Pulling her top over her head he tossed it to the ground and unclasped the clip at the front of her bra, her breasts tumbled out as he pushed the bra off her shoulders. She moved to do the same pulling his shirt and vest open and tossing them to the ground, she fumbled with his pants as he pushed hers to the floor leaving her totally naked before him. Their hands shaking, pulling and pushing at each other in a desperate need to be closer to each other. Daryl grasped the back of her legs and lifted her easily; sitting her on a thick dance pole he wasted no time thrusting into her wet heat.

"Oh god," she couldn't help but groan out as he slid into her; she loved it, loved the feel of him inside her, loved the look of pure pleasure on his face. She could feel her skin getting red hot and sweaty, and they moved together seeking their release. She could feel the familiar burn building in her tummy. No matter how many times she was with Daryl, he never failed to make her reach release but she couldn't remember a single time Ed had ever made her reach it during all their years together.

"God Carol, always so good," he groaned in her ear only making her hotter than before.

The sound of their moans and groans filled the otherwise empty room, he moved cupping her cheek and kissing her hard before pulling back slightly to rest his forehead against hers. She was so perfect and everything he ever wanted or needed and he loved being with her, he could have her everyday forever and it would never be long enough.

"I love you Carol, love you so bloody much," he groaned out looking into her eyes as he continued to meet movements. The feel of him moving in and out of her coupled with his words and the look in his eyes, she quickly spiralled out of control.

"God Daryl," she moaned as her orgasm hit her like a tonne of bricks. "I love you too." He felt her walls clap around him sending him into his own release.

"Carol," he groaned as he reached his own release.

They sat there like that for a moment, still and panting, skin shining with a thin layer of sweat, both completely content. Daryl kissed her lips softly one last time before looking up into her eyes again.

"I'll never get enough of you," he whispered huskily cupping her cheek but all she could do was smile and giggle softly, moving to kissing him again.

Later that night after Carol had finished clearing up from dinner, Sophia had announced she was having another sleep over with Carl and some of the other kids. Daryl was talking to Rick about their next scouting trip and she had decided to head to the dance room and get things ready for their first lesson. She had been there for about an hour practicing and picking out music for tomorrow when she heard the door click close behind her; she smiled softly as she heard heavy footsteps head towards her.

"You weren't joking when you said you can never get enough of me were you?," she giggled turning to face him but jumped back when Jerry stopped in front of her. "Jerry…," she said, about to warn him off.

He moved fast grabbing her by the neck and smashing her into a mirror behind her. She felt the mirror shatter cutting into her head, neck and shoulders, she tried to move but he held her hard.

"Now you can dance for me bitch," he snarled.


	14. By your side

**Thank you to Jaded79 for beta-ing this for me, you rock sweetie! Well let me know what you think good? Bad? Keep writing or don't? let me know.**

_Chapter 14_

_By your side._

"**You weren't joking when you said you can never get enough of me were you?" she giggled turning to face him but jumped back when Jerry stopped in front of her. "Jerry…" she said, about to warn him off.**

**He moved fast grabbing her by the neck and smashing her into a mirror behind her. She felt the mirror shatter cutting into her head, neck and shoulders, she tried to move but he held her hard.**

"**Now you can dance for me bitch," he snarled.**

"Jerry stop, you can still walk away from this," she begged him but it was clear he had already made up his mind. "Daryl will kill you if you do this, there will be no walking away." She felt chills as he laughed loud.

"You think I'm scared of that redneck? Please." His laugh echoed around the empty room.

"You may not be scared of Daryl but what about Tyrese…"

"Tyrese is a moron, he believes in the law, he would never hurt me or let anyone else hurt me, he thinks this world can still be civilised," he laughed again. She tried to ignore his hands which were running up and down her body. "He may lock me in solitary confinement for a few days but it will be worth it just to be inside of your hot little body" She felt fear grip her.

She knew no one was coming to her rescue and she had to do something, anything to save herself. She moved fast, bringing her knee up to kick him hard in the groin and when he doubled over groaning she punched him in the face knocking him down and made a run for the door. But just as she reached for the door knob, he grabbed her smashing her face into the door she felt her nose shatter under the force of the hit.

"You fucking bitch!" he hissed spinning her to face him. He slugged her in the face knocking her down. He kicked her once, twice, three times in the ribs and she was more than certain he had broken at least one rib.

He bent down and lifted her up, dragging her across to the table where the stereo sat he pushed it to the floor, Carol wanted to cry seeing it and the stack of CDs smash onto the floor. He pushed her face down onto the table and started to rip her pants down, she screamed out, thrashing trying to get free but he had a bruising hold on her. She felt him line up with her back entrance and wanted to cry out in fear, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. Then, when she heard the door break off its hinges, shattering to the floor, she knew Daryl was there and she wanted to cry out in joy.

"Get the fuck away from my wife," she heard Daryl snarl. When she felt Jerry's grip loosen on her, she turned pulling up her pants and delivering a hard kick straight to his still naked crotch. He screamed and fell to the floor as she ran to Daryl who couldn't help but feel proud of her. Jerry's nose was bleeding it was clear aside from the kick they just witnessed that Carol had fought back.

"Oh my god," she heard Andrea whisper as she stepped forward to stabilise Carol's wobbly legs and help her walk. She was thankful that Sophia was nowhere in sight. It was just Daryl, Andrea, Rick and Tyrese that had found them. Tyrese moved over to Jerry and lifted him.

"Pull your damn pants up you idiot," he spat at him. Jerry did as ordered and looked up at Daryl who still had his bow trained on him.

"What are you going to do hero?," Jerry laughed.

"What I promised," Daryl replied stepping forward.

"Hang on a minute, we don't just kill people, I get that he did something stupid but… I'll toss him into solitary confinement for a few days, he will learn his lesson," Tyrese said standing in front of Jerry. Carol could see Jerry's mocking smile and felt rage burn through her.

"Are you an idiot? He knew that would be your reaction he told me so… said you believe in the law, even in this world," she spluttered blood dripping from her lips. "He will do it again and next time no one will be around to stop it, what if it's one of the guards' wives or the kids? He knows he can hurt anyone he likes and you will do nothing to stop it," she started to cough blood sprayed from her mouth as she started to feel dizzy.

"Oh god Carol," Andrea gasped trying to keep her on her feet as Rick moved to help hold her up.

"We need to get her to Hershel," Rick said.

"Move," Daryl ordered Tyrese, who turned to face Jerry.

"Did you say that to her?"

"Come on man, the whore is lying," Jerry huffed.

"You're lying to me and you're wrong," Tyrese replied turning to face Daryl. "He's all yours," he told him stepping out of the way. Jerry looked around panicked.

"I warned you," Daryl reminded him before letting the arrow fly hitting Jerry straight in the eye and killing him, he fell to the ground with a thud and Carol felt relief knowing the women and children would be safe from that sicko. Daryl turned dropping his bow and moving to Carol, she was bloody and bruised and in no way steady on her feet.

"Love look at me," he said lifting her face to look at him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," she gasped trying to catch her breath. "I'm…. fuck," she sighed as her world turned black. Scooping her up into his arms, he moved fast out of the room and headed straight for the clinic.

Carol didn't know how long she had been out for but when she woke she felt like her head was pounding, her whole face hurt as did her ribs. It hurt to breathe too deeply. As she opened her eyes she noticed she was in the clinic, Daryl was next to her clutching one of her hands and snoring softly.

"I see you're finally awake," she heard Hershel say as he came into view at the foot of the bed. "You gave us quite a scare, dear."

"What? Who, what?" Daryl spluttered eyes shooting open at the sound of voices, she started to chuckle and regretted it almost instantly, groaning in pain.

"How bad is the pain Carol, on a scale of 1 to 10?" Hershel asked moving to stand beside the bed.

"Um an 8 I think," she sighed trying to control the pain but failing.

"I'll get you something for it," he told her disappearing from her sight. Daryl stood leaning down to kiss her lips softly.

"You scared the hell out of me woman," he sighed cupping her cheek.

"How did you find me?" she whispered.

"When you weren't in the room I knew something was wrong so I asked Andrea to help me find you and we ran into Rick and Tyrese near the dance area, that's when I heard you screaming." She nodded trying to keep the tears at bay but failing as they slipped from her eyes. Daryl moved kissing the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm so proud of you, you fought him."

"Not good enough," she cried.

"Carol, I already asked Hershel and he says no but I need to hear it from you… did he…," she knew what he was wondering and she shook her head.

"No but it was close, seconds close… if you hadn't come in when you did…," the words choked in her throat. He nodded, so thankful, kissing her softly.

"I will always find you, I promise," he whispered leaning his forehead against hers; she nodded crying softly at his words.

"Daryl I need to know more, learn more… I did fight him but I just wasn't fast enough."

"Carol honey I know it's scary but you can only learn so much…"

"No, I need to be better, faster, stronger, if you won't teach me I'll ask Andrea and Michonne to," she snapped.

"Hey I'll teach you everything I know, I'm just saying there is always someone out there that knows more, you just have to be careful and I promise I will never let anyone like Jerry get that close to you again."

"I'm sorry, I'm just rattled and tired," she sighed feeling guilty for snapping at him.

"It's okay," he smiled. "Sophia wanted to see you but it got late so I sent her to spend the night with Carl," he informed her.

"How long was I out?," she asked confused.

"A few hours."

"Alright I'm going to give you some pain killers it may make you a little sleepy," Hershel informed her as he returned. He injected her through a drip in her hand, she felt it start to work but when Daryl went to move over to Hershel she felt panic hit her.

"You're not leaving are you?" She grasped his hand, her voice high pitched and laced with fear.

"I'm not going anywhere love, just want to talk to Hershel," he whispered kissing her gently hoping to reassure her. "Sleep woman I'll be here by your side for the rest of the night, I promise." She nodded feeling her eyes grow heavy as sleep took her over once again and she felt the comfort of Daryl's presence by her side even in her deep sleep.


	15. Confessions

**A huge thanks to my awesome beta Jaded79 for going over this for me. Hope you all enjoy, let me know what you think xx**

_Chapter 15_

_Confessions _

It had been two weeks since Jerry's attack on Carol. She had been spending most of her time in bed due to Hershel's rest order and to be honest it was driving her up the wall. She hated being stuck in bed and having nothing to do. She wanted to be able to pull her weight with the group but every time she moved to get out of bed there was someone at her side to remind her she had to rest; she was never alone.

Daryl had taken a spot beside her and refused to leave for almost a week before she had convinced him he needed to hunt for the group. When he had left, she thought she was home free but then Andrea had shown up and between her, Lori and Sophia, Carol wasn't going anywhere.

But now Daryl was out hunting and she had told Sophia she was hungry. It was the first time in weeks she didn't have to be ordered to eat so Sophia had ran out of the room, excited to get her mother some food. She felt bad for tricking her daughter but she needed to get out of the room. Moving down the hall, she rounded the corner and stopped near the dance room. Taking a much needed deep breath, she moved inside.

The door was now leaning against a nearby wall but had yet to be fixed; the blood, both hers and Jerry's, had been cleaned up as had the mess from the stereo and CD's being smashed onto the floor and she noticed a IPod and its speakers now sat on the table. Moving into the room, she stopped in front of the shattered mirror, she could see the perfect circle where the mirror shattered outwards from the impact of her head. She touched the broken area as memories flooded her mind.

"_You weren't joking when you said you can never get enough of me were you?," she giggled turning to face him but jumped back when Jerry stopped in front of her. "Jerry…," she said about to warn him off._

_He moved fast grabbing her by the neck and smashing her into a mirror behind her. She felt the mirror shatter, cutting into her head, neck and shoulders, she tried to move but he held her hard._

"_Now you can dance for me Bitch!"_

Hissing, she pulled back as a bit of glass cut her finger jerking her from her memories. She was grateful for that, looking at the blood that dropped from her finger she put it in her mouth to try and stop the bleeding.

Jerry had left her in a bad way that night – one black eye, a bruised and swollen nose but surprisingly not broken, mostly minor cuts on her head, neck and shoulders except for one which had needed four stitches, two broken ribs which still hurt when she breathed too deeply or laughed too much, and a handful of bruises that were mainly on her neck, hip and legs.

She had never told Daryl in detail what happened that night; not that he hadn't asked, it was just she wasn't ready to talk about it. Removing her finger from her mouth she noticed it was still bleeding but only slightly, when she heard footsteps she took a moment to listen, it didn't take her long to realise it was Daryl. She had started taking notice of how the people in the prison sounded when they walked ever since Jerry's attack on her, and for good reason.

"You know I thought it was you when he came in?," she spoke softly not turning to face him, knowing if she did she would never get it all out. "I heard the door close and lock and figured it was you because of that morning. By the time I realised it was too late, he grabbed me and smashed my head into the glass and told me I was to dance for him." Daryl stopped behind her but said nothing, he had been asking her for weeks to put the pieces together for him and she had never wanted to, so having her finally talk about it had to be a real breakthrough for her.

"I told him you would kill him but he just laughed… I knew I had to do something so I kicked him in the… well you can guess and then I punched him in the face and ran but I guess I wasn't fast enough cause he grabbed me and smashed my face into the door, I fell down and he just started kicking me… I'm not sure how many times but I know it was a few," she whispered tears starting to burn her eyes. "He dragged me across the room and threw me onto the table and knocked the stereo and CDs to the floor… I remember wanting to cry seeing the stereo shatter." She laughed softly.

"Seems silly doesn't it?," she cried as the tears fell.

"It's not silly love," he spoke for the first time. She turned to face him and he felt his heart break at the sight of her tears.

"He ripped down my pants and that's when I screamed… I felt him line himself up at my backside and felt sick, I thought that was it, that he was going to rape me but then I heard the door break and your voice and I knew I was safe," she sobbed. "I have never felt safe in my life but in a moment of pure fear you made me feel that safety I had always dreamed of." He stepped forward wrapping his arms around her as she cried into his chest.

"I will always keep you safe, you and Sophia," he muttered into her now growing hair. "Always." She nodded into his chest before he pulled back to look at her.

"Sophia has been looking for you, she was really worried."

"I'm sorry, I just needed some time alone," she whispered feeling guilty.

"We have been overcrowding you a bit," he sighed, his words a statement rather than a question.

"I know you're all worried, but yes."

"I promise we will back off a little." She smiled up at him glad she had finally let go of what Jerry did to her that night; she felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted. "Come on let's go have something to eat," she nodded as they left the dance room but she stopped in the door way and looked back into the room.

"Once my ribs are healed I want to start lessons."

"Are you sure?" Daryl asked surprised but glad; she had said a week ago she didn't want to do them anymore and he knew it was because of Jerry's attack.

"Yeah I'm not going to let one dirt bag ruin it for us."

"You're amazing woman," he smiled wrapping his arm around her shoulder, kissing the top of her head. She just smiled as they headed to go have lunch together.

Another two weeks had passed and Carol was getting around a lot more easily and as promised Daryl and everyone else had backed off a little and let her have some time alone. She had started teaching dance about a week ago and she had to admit she loved the days she got to teach. She had missed it. She was in the dance room clearing up for the day when Sophia took her by surprise with her words.

"Mum, are you and Daryl going to get married?" Carol looked down at Sophia surprised, but decided this required a talk. Leading Sophia to the two chairs that sat near the table, she sat her down sitting across from her.

"Why do you ask that sweetie?"

"Well you guys love each other right?"

"We do," Carol nodded.

"You always told me that loving someone was the only good reason to marry someone." Carol smiled remembering telling Sophia that. Of course it was cause she had married Ed out of obligation and she never wanted Sophia to ever think she had to do that.

"That's true."

"Well then you should get married." Sighing, Carol took a deep breath trying to think of the best way to respond.

"Sophia, I don't want you to think that marriage isn't important cause it is; when you meet and fall in love with someone, if you both want to you should get married but things are very complicated these days…"

"Because of the walkers?"

"Yes and because the world simply isn't what it used to be and people are different now… I hope when you're old enough to get married things will be different," she tried to explain.

"Don't you want to marry Daryl?"

"Of course, why would you think I didn't?"

"Well you said when you both want to you should get married." Carol sighed, this wasn't a conversation she was ready for but she could see Sophia needed answers.

"I love Daryl and he loves me and we both love you but I just don't think he is ready for marriage yet… before us, Daryl only had to worry about himself and his brother Merle, it's a big difference having a wife and child." She smiled cupping Sophia's little cheek. "I'm sure if or when he is ready, he'll let me know." Sophia nodded smiling hugging her mother before stepping back.

"Okay."

"What brought all this marriage stuff on?" Carol asked curious.

"Well if you and Daryl got married that would make him my dad and I would like that a lot." Sophia smiled before bouncing out of the room. Carol smiled as she watched her leave; she knew Daryl would make a great father but that step was something he had to do on his own time. Taking a deep breath, she turned to continue what she was doing.

Daryl had returned from his hunt and, after cleaning up, had headed straight for the dance room to check on Carol. He had found her and Sophia packing up and just as he had gone to announce his presence, he had heard Sophia's question about marriage. Even though he knew he shouldn't eavesdrop on their conversation, he couldn't help but stay hidden and listen in silently.

He was a little surprised by Carol's response that she felt he wasn't ready for marriage even though she was. He knew she would never push and he loved her. He just never imagined ever getting married and when the world went to hell he figured it was even more unlikely. When Sophia turned to leave, he moved around the corner so she didn't see him. His heart had clenched when she had said she wanted him to be her dad because he wanted that too.

He came back to stand near the door and watch as Carol moved gracefully getting in one last dance before calling it a day. He did this often, just stood there and watched her dance. He would never say anything cause he didn't want her to stop but she always knew he was there and this time was no different; she smiled at him as she continued to dance.

He couldn't take his eyes off her. She was a vision and he knew it didn't matter that the world had gone to hell, he loved her and he wanted her to be his wife and for everyone to know she was his and he was hers. They were leaving for a supply run in two days and he decided then and there to pick up the rings and ask her to marry him in front of their friends. He just hoped she was really ready like she had told Sophia because it would shatter him if she said no.


	16. Captive

**A huge thanks to Jaded79 for getting this back to me so fast, you're amazing! I hope you all enjoy and let me know your thoughts and just a warning things are going to get a little dark in the next chapter but I hope you stick with me, enjoy!**

_Chapter 16_

_Captive_

She knew he was going to react badly. Perhaps that was why she left it to the last moment to tell him. She moved into their room, seeing him sling his bow onto his back. Strapping a knife to his side and holstering his gun, he turned surprised to see her doing the same.

"Is there a reason you look like you going somewhere?" he asked her confused.

"I'm going on the trip," she replied strapping her knife to her thigh.

"Ah no you're not," he huffed moving to stand in front of her.

"The women and children need proper shoes for their lesson and Glenn mentioned on your last trip that there was a music shop in town that had instruments and dance equipment."

"Yeah so write me a list and I'll pick it all up." She sighed looking up at him.

"Daryl, dancing is painful enough, especiallywith the wrong fitting shoe it can be pure torture, I mean you have seen my feet some nights, swollen, split and covered in blisters."

"So write down their sizes, I may not be a dance teacher but I can pick out shoe sizes I know I need to get," he replied gruffly.

"It's not that simple, dance shoes aren't sized like normal shoes… it would be easier if I just came along, I know what I'm looking for, you don't, besides I'm trained, armed and I have you guys watching my back, I'll be fine."

"Forget about it, you're not going… they will just have to deal with what I grab," he replied. She felt annoyance burn through her, she knew he was just being protective but she felt like he was barking orders at her and while there was once a time she would have done what she was told, that time had been and gone.

"I'm not twelve years old Daryl, I'm not asking for your permission," she snapped crossing her arms across her chest. "I have already talked to Rick about it and he said he was fine with me tagging along."

"Don't I get a bloody say in this?" he snapped.

"No," she replied simply turning and leaving the room and Daryl stunned.

Once Carol had kissed Sophia goodbye, they had headed out. Rick and Glenn were together in one car while Carol and Daryl were in the other. They had been on the road for almost an hour and Daryl had yet to say a single word to her. She could tell he was angry so she decided not to push it and just stay silent. Once they pulled up, they stepped out taking out a small group of walkers.

"Stay with Glenn woman," he snapped at her before moving away with Rick.

"Hey," she called out and he turned facing her. She walked up planting a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you." He sighed knowing he couldn't stay mad at her.

"I love you too, just be careful please?," his voice begging her.

"I promise," she smiled turning and disappearing into the music store with Glenn.

Fifteen minutes later, Carol came out of the store, tossing a bag full of shoes and music into the back of the car. Shutting the door, she was about to turn to go back in and help Glenn with the rest when she noticed about ten men staring at her.

"Well what do we have here?" She heard one of the men say. She moved to grab her bow off her back but before she could someone hit her from behind and her world turned black.

She didn't know how long she had been out, all she knew was that her head was pounding and she could feel wetness on the back of her neck that could only be blood, her blood. She could hear arguing, she strained to open her eyes and to get them to focus once she did. She could see Daryl and Rick with their weapons drawn on the men that held her up and stood near her. She struggled trying to get free but it was useless.

"Daryl," she called before she could stop herself, she hated the panicked tone of her voice.

"Carol it's going to be okay," he spoke trying to reassure her.

"Of course it is going to be okay, Carol is it?" the man spoke coming to stand behind her. Wrapping his arm around her neck he pulled her flushed against him. "You're coming home with me and these men can go and no one gets hurt," he sneered in her ear. She felt cold shivers run down her spine at his words.

"Like hell!" Daryl hissed.

"She your woman?" the man asked. "She is a pretty little thing, firm in all the right places," he leered grabbing a handful of her breast. She turned her head unable to look at Daryl as the man grabbed at her.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" Daryl yelled but the man just laughed.

"What are you going to do boy? You have the two of you and the little Asian boy inside… yes we do know he is there… I have men all over this town." One of his men run up to him.

"There is a group of walkers nearby sir, they should just pass us by but I thought you should be informed," he informed him.

"Perfect," the man smiled. "Do you hear that boys, a large group of walkers nearby, my men believe they should just pass us by without even knowing we are here but it would be a shame if someone was to alert them of our presence."

"You wouldn't," Rick spoke. "They would kill you too."

"As I said, I have men all over this town and a means of escape, you on the other hand are outnumbered, out-gunned and would no doubt all die should the walkers come across you all, including the woman," he laughed clearly proud of himself. "So what will it be boys? I take the woman and you all live to fight another day or you all die a bloody death of being ripped apart by walkers including the woman, no doubt leaving the large group I'm sure you're part of without their men to protect them… how long do you think they will survive without you?" Carol felt red hot panic hit her. All she could think of was Sophia; he was right, without Daryl and Rick it was only a matter of time before they all die one way or another.

"You're not taking her anywhere," Daryl hissed.

"Very well," the man replied raising his gun no doubt to fire a shot.

"No wait!" Carol yelled panicked. "Please, I'll go with you just don't alert the herd," she begged.

"The herd? I like that," he smiled. "You promise to come trouble free?"

"Yes."

"You're not going bloody anywhere woman," Daryl yelled.

"Daryl please, you have to take care of Sophia, without you she doesn't stand a chance please, I'll be alright," she cried tears streaming down her face.

"Get in the car," the man ordered pushing her into the car but Daryl just couldn't let them drive off with the woman he loved. Firing the bow, he killed one of the men.

Gun shots rang out, Glenn took out two more of the men from his position on top of the shops but it was no use, they were outnumbered. They dived behind their cars to avoid getting shot as the cars drove away. They stood about to jump into the cars and make chase but there were walkers everywhere.

"Come on," Rick yelled pulling Daryl towards the shop where Glenn was. "We are no good to her dead." Running inside, they locked the doors moving to get out of sight and just hoping the walkers hadn't seen them.

Twenty minutes passed and it felt like hours for Daryl; the herd was passing them by slowly, it was clear they hadn't noticed them. They had moved their way to a back room barricading the door and hoping to wait out the herd.

"I just let them take her," Daryl sighed, a mixture of fear and sadness just about choking him up as he looked at the ground.

"You didn't just let them take her, you did everything you could," Rick tried to reassure him.

"Not enough though and god knows where they're taking her. I could have tried to track their car tracks but with the herd blowing through town, chances are the tracks are destroyed… how the hell am I going to find her?" He felt tears burn his eyes at the thought that he had lost her.

"With this," Glenn spoke handing them a little hand held device.

"What the hell is this?" Daryl asked looking at it.

"It's a tracking receiver," Rick piped up. "Where did you find this?"

_***Flashback***_

_**Ten minutes before Carol was taken.**_

_Carol moved, filling the bag with the right size shoes, leg warmers, tights, all they would need to be as comfortable as possible during lessons. She had a few bags of things at her feet and she was just about ready to start carrying them out when Glenn came to stop beside her._

"_Look what I found," he said handing her a little black disc with a small red button in it._

"_What is it?" she asked confused._

"_A tracker, I found three of them with the receiver in the office out the back," he replied showing her._

"_I wonder why they would have something like this."_

"_Don't know but if they work, we could take them on trips like this so if we get separated we can always find each other." She nodded running her thumb across the red button hearing it beep as a light on the receiver screen started to flash._

"_Huh it works," Glenn smiled._

"_It's a good find," she smiled, slipping the tracker into her back pocket and continuing on her task at hand._

_***End of flashback***_

"So she put the tracker in her pocket?" Daryl confirmed.

"Yeah that is her there," he replied pointing at the flashing red light on the receiver.

"There've stopped, that's really not that far from here," Rick said.

"Good, we'll wait out the herd, then we are going after her and I don't care what we have to do. I'm not leaving that camp without my woman," Daryl said determined. They all nodded agreeing and Glenn knew just the store to check out before they left to make sure they had a fighting chance.

Carol could feel panic taking hold, she was trying to stay calm but failing. Once they had stopped, she had been dragged from the car and dumped in a small room alone. She was there for about five minutes before she heard someone walk into the room. Turning to face her kidnapper, who she had since learned went by the name the Governor, he leered at her before he spoke.

"You have a visitor my dear." She looked confused before he stepped aside.

"Hello wife." She saw Ed smirk, she felt sick he was alive but worse he was here, things had just gone from bad to much, much worse.


	17. I will save you or die trying

**A huge thank you to Jaded79 for getting this back to me so quickly, your awesome hun xxoo Please be WARNED things are going to get dark in this chapter, the things that happen to Carol is quiet horrific. Please let me know what you think.**

_Chapter 17_

_I will save you or die trying._

"_**You have a visitor my dear." She looked confused before he stepped aside.**_

"_**Hello wife." She saw Ed smirk, she felt sick he was alive but worse he was here, things had just gone from bad to much, much worse.**_

Carol couldn't believe her eyes, there stood Ed. She had thought he had died that night on the farm; truth was she hoped he had died. How had he survived? There had been walkers everywhere.

"You seem surprised to see me alive," Ed smirked strolling towards her.

"Well that would be because I was hoping you were dead," she spat. The Governor laughed loudly.

"Wow, your wife has real fire; I'm going to enjoy taming her."

"Ex-wife," she spat.

"Ed tells me you're still legally married."

"You can't be married to two people," she smirked at Ed seeing his annoyance.

"You married that fucking redneck?," he hissed getting in her face.

"You bet your ass I did… you should have heard us on the wedding night." He moved fast, backhanding her hard and knocking her to the ground. She looked up at him, her lips split and bloody but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face knowing she had got to him.

"I'm going to enjoy helping the Governor break you, fucking whore!," he spat. He was just about to grab hold of her when someone interrupted them.

"Excuse me sir." She looked up stunned to see Merle Dixon standing in the doorway.

"Merle," she gasped; he looked down at her and she could see his fear.

"Do you know our guest Merle?," the governor asked stepping closer to Merle who visibly flinched at his closeness. She knew in that moment that he couldn't help her.

"She was a woman in the group that left me cuffed to that roof," he replied.

"The group your brother is with?"

"Yes sir."

"That's the redneck fucker that has been fucking my wife," Ed hissed.

"Well," the Governor laughed. "It's a small world after all." Merle looked down at Carol, he had seen them bring her in and was hoping to distract the governor long enough to get her out of there, especially after hearing the information that she was now Daryl's woman. He wanted to do something to help her but he knew the governor wasn't going to leave; he knew he had to do it right otherwise he would just end up getting them both killed.

"My brother is dead to me, he picked that nigger and the asshole cop that left me there to die over his own blood," Merle said trying his best to sound cold. "There is a small group of walkers heading towards the compound sir; we thought you should be informed."

"Ah very well," he sighed. "Dispatch the men, tell them to kill them and I'm not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency," he ordered.

"Yes sir," Merle replied disappearing from her sight and she knew she was alone.

A full day had passed and Carol just wished death would come, the things they had done to her where unimaginable. She felt sick and all she wanted to do was throw up, but it hurt to move. She was cut, burnt, whipped, and branded. She had lost count of how many times they had raped her, laughing as they did so, taking turns and watching as the other violated her, sometimes doing it at the same time.

She was naked and cold, hungry and thirsty. She was covered in welts, cuts, burns, and blood. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. They tried to make her scream, to cry out but she refused, she would never give them the satisfaction and while she would never admit it they had broken her hours ago.

Now all she had was death in her heart.

The sound of an explosion rang out. The Governor moved out the door to see what was going on.

"He's here," she smirked up at Ed. "He's going to hurt you, He is going to take great pleasure in killing you," she whispered at him. He picked up a knife and slammed it down into her chest. She gasped knowing this was it, she was going to die, Ed had finally killed her and she was going to welcome it.

"He will never find me, all he will find is your dead body," he sneered. "It's been fun," he laughed moving out of the room and disappearing. She could feel herself growing weak and when she heard footsteps, figuring it was the Governor she tried to pretend she was already dead.

"Carol," she heard Merle gasp. "Oh god I'm so sorry I should have got to you sooner but they already barely trust me," he said untying her and covering her with his jacket.

"Please kill me," she begged.

"Now come on, you're going to be fine, I'm going to get you back to Daryl," he said scooping her up in his arms trying not to bump the knife which was closer to her shoulder than her chest.

"No please, just kill me…," she whispered before passing out.

"It's going to be okay, I promise," he whispered turning to leave only to see the governor standing in the doorway, his gun aimed at them both.

"Merle, Merle, Merle… you disappoint me," he sighed. "I thought after last time you had learnt your lesson."

"I'm not going to let you hurt her anymore, I'll kill us both before I let you touch her again," Merle spoke trying to sound strong but his voice came out shaky and fearful.

"Please, I'll kill you before you can even reach for your weapon and the woman will still be mine… you have no idea who you're fucking with," he snapped but when Merle saw the bow come into view he knew right away who it belonged to.

"No, it's you who has no idea who you're fucking with." Merle smirked and the governor turned his head to see Daryl.

"Gotcha," Daryl said firing and killing the governor instantly, stepping over his body and moving towards Merle.

"Merle," he gasped surprised to see his brother alive.

"I…I….I tried… tried to get to her sooner but…" Merle stammered. Daryl felt tears well in his eyes at the sight of Carol's unconscious form in Merle's arms.

"You tried, that's what matters, come on we need to get her help," Daryl said leading the way out.

They had gotten back to the prison in record time. They had destroyed the Governor's compound with a large explosion that Rick and Glenn had set up while he looked for Carol. Daryl was thankful Glenn knew about the little cop shop in town that had the C-4 handy.

Daryl paced back and forth for over an hour waiting for news on Carol as Hershel and Maggie worked on her. Merle had barely said two words, but he had informed them that Ed was alive or at least had been when they attacked the governor's compound and he had been in on the attack on Carol. Daryl wouldn't stop till he found him and made him pay. He had asked him what they had done to Carol but Merle had simply replied saying it wasn't his place to say. Daryl knew he was right; it was up to Carol to tell him what had happened when she was ready. He just wished he knew that she was alright. Just when he thought he might go crazy, Hershel appeared.

"How is she? She is alright?," he asked the man.

"She's in a bad way, cuts, burns, bruises, all will heal with time but the worst are server burns on her legs where they… branded her"

"Wait, what did they brand on her?" Daryl asked. Hershel took a deep breath and tried to swallow the lump in his throat before continuing.

"Ed's whore…. It looks like the used a red hot screw driver or thin pole" Daryl turned, pacing, trying to control his rage but failed. Smashing his fist into a nearby wall, he yelled out in frustration before letting tears slip from his eyes. Merle moved to his side, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. Daryl took a deep breath before turning back to face Hershel again.

"But she's going to be alright isn't she?"

"She took a knife to the chest but luckily it didn't hit her heart. It did break a rib and she lost a lot of blood because of it, she will need a transfusion and it may take her quite a bit of time to heal but if she can get through the next twenty four hours she will have gotten through the worst of it." Daryl nodded trying to keep his tears at bay. "I'm more concerned about the psychological effects."

"What do you mean doc?" Daryl asked looking at him.

"I found a large amount of… of semen inside of Carol," he replied finding it hard to say the words. Tears slipped from Daryl's eyes and while he knew what it meant he couldn't stop the question from slipping past his lips.

"Well what does that mean?"

"That coupled with the fact that I found severe bruising and tearing of the vaginal and anal passage tells me…. Well it tells me Carol was subjected to a pretty violent rape." Daryl nodded more tears slipping from his eyes. He was glad he had sent Sophia to Lori's room for the night with Carl; she didn't need to hear this. "I'm so sorry son," Hershel sighed wanting to cry for the man.

"Hershel what can we do for Carol, to help her I mean?" Andrea asked stepping forward.

"Try to be there for her but try not to crowd her; we can't push her to tell us what happened. She needs to come to it in her own time… it will be a long road but we just have to try and show her love and support."

"Can I see her now?" Daryl asked wiping the tears from his face.

"Of course," he nodded stepping out of the way and letting Daryl go in. Daryl let the door shut behind him. Looking at Carol's form, she looked so broken, bandaged and bruised and he felt fresh tears slip from his eyes as he took a seat beside her. Grasping her hand, he kissed it softly.

"I'm so sorry I failed you, I promise to make it right if you just come back to me, to us," he cried laying his head beside her. He stayed there all night hoping she would wake up and hoping she could move past what they had done to her but he knew no matter what happened he would be at her side.

"Little brother," he heard Merle whisper as he walked in. "Sophia is awake and asking for you."

"I can't see her yet, I failed her, I failed them both," he cried.

"You didn't fail them."

"I promised her I would keep her safe, look at her."

"The Governor was a cruel, evil bastard… it wasn't your fault."

"I'm going to find Ed, I'm going to find him and make him pay," Daryl promised.

"I'll help you," Daryl looked up at Merle smiling. He couldn't believe the change in Merle but he was so thankful to have him there. Nodding, he turned back to Carol's still sleeping form.

"I'll make him pay," he whispered to her, promising her and as if she heard him, her eyes fluttered open but she never said a word she just cried, her whole body shaking with the force of her tears. He held her close, whispering promises of safety and love in her ear as she clung to him like her life depended on it.


	18. Haunted memories

**Big thanks to Jaded79 for beta-ing this chapter for me, let me know your thoughts. **

_Chapter 18_

_Haunted memories_

It had been over a week since the attack on Carol. Daryl had returned to the Governor's compound to prove or disprove if Ed was in fact still alive but the whole place had been levelled and was now crawling with walkers. He just hoped Ed had died in the explosion and if not Daryl would be ready for him.

Carol had been released from the clinic a few days ago but she had hardly talked to anyone. She mostly kept to herself working in the kitchen or garden. She couldn't seem to look at Daryl and she had snapped more than once at both him and Sophia, but they knew she had been through hell and they needed to be patient.

She spent most of her days alone. Sometimes he saw Lori or Andrea approach her to try and keep her company but she eventually always walked away wanting to be alone. Sophia spent most of her days with him and Merle, not that Daryl minded she had even started calling him dad, but he just wished Carol would talk to him. He sat on the wall with Merle who was silent mostly these days too, unless he was talking with young Beth. Surprisingly they had become close friends quite quickly.

"She'll talk to you eventually, just gotta give it time little brother," Merle said noting Daryl watching Carol as she worked in the garden alone.

"What like you will?" Daryl turned his voice coming out harsher then he intended. "I'm sorry I'm just frustrated," Daryl sighed, Merle shrugged nodding.

"I get it," Merle replied. "Not a lot to tell really, once I got off that god forsaken roof I found a truck…"

"Our truck," Daryl interrupted.

"I didn't know that at the time," Merle replied. "Was headed back to camp when the Governor and his men cut me off, they seemed alright at the time so I went with them, figured I could get settled in and then find you, bring you back to this safe compound they were talking up," he sighed remember how foolish he was to think that place was safe.

"What happened?" Daryl tried to push him on.

"At first it was all good, but then I started to notice things, all men at the camp even though I had seen woman and kids brought in, started hearing rumours about lock ups and I went looking found a young girl and her daughter… kid would have been no more than five, they had her locked in this little cage and the mum was strapped to the table naked and bloody," he whispered choking up as he remembered that day. "I got them out and into a car but I guess they realised they were missing so I gave the woman my gun and the keys and told her to get out of there… she got away but I stayed behind as a distraction." Hot tears slipped from his eyes as he put his head down embarrassed.

"You did a good thing, you saved them," Daryl replied. Merle looked up nodding wiping the tears from his face. "What happened then?"

"I tried to fight them to keep them distracted from the woman and her daughter, killed three of them before they overpowered me, they tossed me into a cell and left me there with no food or water, not sure for how long, days, weeks, finally they let me out and made me promise to behave or they would feed me to the walkers they had on the grounds… after that I tried to not see what happened or the people they brought in but when I saw Carol I knew I had to do something… I tried to get him out of the room, telling him we had walkers close by but he refused to leave so I had to wait till they left her alone."

"You have no idea how grateful I am for what you did for her," Daryl said laying a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I didn't do much, wish I could have done more… just give her time." Daryl nodded looking back at the garden noticing she was gone, he looked around seeing Sophia with Hershel and Beth; Maggie was with Glenn and Lori and Andrea with Carl.

"You alright to watch for a moment?" Daryl asked standing.

"Yeah," Merle nodded as Daryl climbed down the ladder and headed inside the prison. Hershel noticed the man rush inside and followed him in.

Daryl moved towards their room. As he headed down the hall, he noticed the room door was shut which made him panic even more. Picking up the pace, he all but ran past Rick and T-Dog who were walking down the hall.

"Hey Daryl everything alright?" Rick called out but Daryl ignored him. Something was wrong he could feel it. Jerking the room door opened, he saw her stand from the bed turning fast to face him. He saw the bloody knife in her hand and noticed she had blood dripping down her right leg.

"Carol sweetheart…," he spoke softly, trying not to scare her but her hand was shaking as she pointed the bloody knife at him.

"Don't come any closer… please I have to get rid of it," she sobbed. He felt Rick and T-Dog come in behind him.

"Oh god," he heard T-Dog gasp.

"Please Carol just put down the knife," his voice begging her.

"You don't understand, I just have to get rid of it then everything will be better," she sobbed trying to get him to understand but she wasn't making a lot of sense. Before he could speak again, she turned her attention back to her leg, he didn't even get half way across the room and she had already cut a large chunk of flesh from her leg.

He grabbed hold of her trying to get the knife from her hand but she fought against him, screaming and thrashing in his arms. Rick and T-Dog moved to him finally getting the knife from her hands. Hershel moved into the room sticking a needle in her shoulder and he felt her go weak in his arms as she passed out. Scooping her up, he rushed her to the clinic.

Daryl sat watching as Hershel had patched her up. Despite the amount of blood, it turned out she hadn't cut too deep and she wouldn't need stitches but she had removed a large area of skin. Hershel had quickly realised what she had been trying to do, she had been trying to remove Ed's name from her leg and she had been successful. An hour later, her eyes slowly fluttered open and she looked to see Daryl sitting beside her.

"I wasn't trying to kill myself if that's what you think," she spoke, his head jerked up at the sound of her voice.

"Hey, I know."

"I just had to get rid of it," she whispered feeling tears start to rise up in her eyes.

"I know," he nodded.

"Seeing it there every time I showered or got changed… it was a constant reminder," she cried. He wanted to say something, anything but he could tell she was starting to open up so he just nodded. "He laughed when he did it, he used a hot screw driver and said it was ironic because of how I once said to him I would rather be your whore then his wife… when I first saw him at the compound I told him you and I were married now, I don't know what I was hoping to achieve, maybe I just wanted to piss him off… guess I succeeded," she sobbed letting the tears flow from her eyes.

"So he found it funny that now I was your wife and his whore as he put it… he wanted to make sure everyone knew that."

"You're not a whore and you're not his anything, no matter what he said or did… you're my woman," Daryl said trying to reassure her, grasping her hand tighter in his and placing a soft kiss on it. She nodded chin quivering.

"I don't know how you could want me, how you can even look at me after what they did."

"What they did to you doesn't change who you are or how I see you, just confirms that their sick, cowardly bastards… I love you for who I know you are, **nothing **and I mean nothing will ever change that." All she could do was sob as he moved to hold her, letting her cry it all out, hoping with time she would open up fully and leave it all behind.

Later that night, Carol sat out on the wall. She didn't have watch, Rick and Glenn did, but she liked sitting up on the wall it was quiet and peaceful. No one bothered her they just walked the wall and did their job. Hearing someone walk up the ladder she figured it must be Daryl looking for her and was surprised when Andrea took a seat beside her, a bottle of Jack Daniel's in hand. She took a sip before handing it to Carol. Taking it, Carol took a quick sip cringing when the liquor burnt her throat.

"I understand what you're going through," Andrea spoke taking the bottle from her and taking another sip for herself before continuing. "I was nineteen and was heading home after a late study session when I realised I had left my headlights on and my car battery was dead… I couldn't afford a tow truck and I didn't want to wake my roommate up so I figured I would just walk back to my apartment and get my roommate to give me a jump start in the morning." Taking another large gulp, she handed the bottle back to Carol.

"I was maybe five minutes from home when I was attacked by two men, they beat and raped me before strangling me, they must have thought I was dead because they left me there… it was hours before I was found by a couple of early morning joggers, half naked, bloody and barely alive… I thought I would never be able to move past what they did to me and even after they were caught and locked up; it still didn't change what had happened that night. It took me a really long time to let go of what had happened but eventually I did." Carol couldn't believe her ears; taking a deep breath, she looked at the ground below before speaking.

"They took turns raping me while the other watched, sometimes the one watching would get up and hit me, cut me but I guess it got boring because after a while they started to rape me together," she confessed taking a large gulp of the bourbon. She couldn't believe she had just said that; she hadn't told anyone anything about the attack aside from the little information she had given Daryl earlier that day. But for some reason knowing Andrea had gone through something similar seemed to make it easy to talk to her about it.

An hour later, Daryl got up from his bed, looking over at Sophia's sleeping form he couldn't help but worry about Carol. She had said she was going to sit on the wall as she wanted time alone. Rick had promised to keep a close eye on her so he had agreed to let her go but now he was starting to worry. Moving out of the room, he stopped seeing Andrea and Rick with Carol balanced between them. She was giggling and stumbling and that is when Daryl noticed the half empty bottle of Jack Daniel's in Andrea's hand.

"You got her drunk?" he snapped.

"It's not what you think big guy," Andrea tried to explain as they laid Carol down on the bed. She was out before her head even hit the pillow. "She didn't have a lot but it turns out she can't hold her liquor at all."

"That's crap!" he snapped at her again.

"No, it's true I was keeping an eye on them, she really didn't have a lot," Rick defended Andrea. "I better get back to watch," he said as he left the room and Daryl and Andrea glaring at each other.

"Get out Annie Oakley," he snarled and she couldn't help but sigh as she headed for the door, but before leaving she turned to face him.

"I didn't mean to get her drunk, if I knew she was such a lightweight I wouldn't have offered her any, I just wanted her to relax maybe open up a little."

"Did she?" he asked needing to know, his voice softer and not nearly as annoyed.

"Yes but before you ask, I can't tell you, that has to come from her." He sighed nodding.

"At least she is talking to someone… thanks," the last word coming out as a soft mutter she only just heard; she smiled nodding.

"Look I know it's not my place but I've noticed how she keeps snapping at you and Sophia, trying to push you both away… it's normal."

"I thought you were a lawyer back in the day not a shrink."

"I was, but I was also a rape survivor," she admitted, his head shot up at this. "Everything she is doing is a very normal response to what she has gone through but just be strong. Don't let her push you away no matter how hard she tries; she will need you more then she realises… it's one thing to be depressed and scared but it's a whole other thing to be depressed, scared and alone, believe me I know and that way leads to badness," she whispered running her hand across her wrist and for the first time Daryl noticed the twin scars on her wrists where she had clearly tried to take her own life.

"Thank you," he whispered amazed at everything he had just learned. She smiled softly nodding before leaving them. Shutting the door, he turned sighing and slipping under the covers with Carol, cupping her cheek he prayed she never tried to do anything like that. If he lost her it would be the end of him.


	19. Disappearing into the darkness

**Things get a little dark here. Big thank you to Jaded79 for beta-ing this for me. Hope you all enjoy. **

_Chapter 19_

_Disappearing into the darkness._

A week passed since Carol had sliced Ed's name from her thigh. It was now just an angry scab. Hershel said it was healing well but it would leave an ugly scar. Carol was happy with that as long as Ed's name was no longer permanently branded on her body. She was still spending a lot of time alone but she did take the time to talk to Andrea. Carol seemed to be able to relate to her and Daryl was just glad she was talking to someone, even if it wasn't him.

She knew they were taking another supply run in a few days and she wanted to go along but Rick had been more than hesitant to agree when she had approached him with the idea. He had insisted she discuss it with Daryl before he agreed to anything. She found him in their room getting ready for his shift walking the wall. Moving into the room, she took a deep breath.

"Hey," she spoke softly getting his attention, he turned smiling at her.

"Hey."

"Andrea was telling me that you guys are taking a trip into town in a few days."

"That's right, why, do you need me to pick up something?" he asked moving to stand in front of her.

"Actually I want to come on the trip."

"Forget about it, if you need something I can pick it up for you."

"Daryl…," she sighed but he quickly cut her off.

"No forget it, this happened last time. We argued and in the end you ended up going and something terrible happened. I'm not letting something like that happen again just for the right size dance shoes or whatever crap it is this time," he snapped.

"You know nothing!" she hissed her anger getting the better of her.

"Then why don't you enlighten me."

"He is out there, I know it, I feel it and I have to find him, I have to make him pay," she all but yelled tears burning in her eyes.

"You're wrong, Ed is dead. There is no way he got out before Rick set the explosion off," he replied shaking his head as he started to pass.

"You don't know that, not for sure. I mean we got out before the explosion, he had heaps of time."

"Maybe," he sighed turning to face her.

"No maybe, it's a fact. He shouldn't have survived the attack at the camp but somehow he managed to get from that tent to the car without getting bit or scratched, he never should have made it off the farm, there was walkers everywhere but somehow he managed to get out alive," her voice was getting louder and louder the more she went on. "He is like a fucking cockroach, just when you think you have squashed him, he skitters out from under your shoe."

"If he is out there, then he more than likely thinks you're dead and I would like to keep it that way, you're safer here. I will find Ed if he is still alive and I will make him pay."

"No, he did this to me, he beat me, tortured me, raped me," she cried, unaware Sophia was listening in. Sophia knew Ed and this Governor had hurt her mother but she had no idea they had done half of that stuff. She felt tears well in her eyes and couldn't listen anymore; turning and leaving, she headed for the library to get some time alone. "I have to stop him; I have to make him pay."

"I know why you need this but I can't let you go, I'm sorry."

She knew he was just trying to protect her but she couldn't help but feel anger and annoyance. "I don't need your permission and I'm not a prisoner, I'll go where I please," she snapped turning to leave. He couldn't stop himself from grasping her arm and turning her to face him.

"I'm getting sick to death of your attitude!" he spat. "I'm trying here Carol, I'm really trying but you just keep shutting me down and shutting me out… I want to help you, to understand but how the hell am I meant to do that if you won't even fucking talk to me, hell I can't even get you to look me in the eye half the fucking time!," he yelled, his face red with rage. He was angry at her, but he was also angry at himself for letting this happen to her in the first place; he blamed himself.

"You know what, go, go ahead, I'm sick of fighting with you, of trying to keep you safe when all you seem to want to do is run off and get yourself killed so go right ahead cause I'm through," he snapped, grabbing his bow and storming past her and out to start his shift.

He didn't mean it, of course; he loved her but he was just so tired and so scared of losing her. He wanted to turn around and go back and tell her he was sorry but he was still too mad. Deciding to wait till after his shift, he continued on outside; he would make it right when he got back tonight.

She knew he was right, she had argued to get out on that trip and look what had happened. She had been taken and beaten and raped and it was her own fault; if she had just listened to him and stayed at the prison, none of this would have happened.

She had brought this on all of them; they were better off without her, all she brought was pain and heartache. She knew he would keep Sophia safe and loved and that he would move on and meet someone else, someone better than she ever was. Her mind made up, she wiped the tears from her face, feeling a sense of peace as she decided tonight would be the night, the night she died.

After dinner, Carol had cleaned up and then asked Lori if Sophia could spend the night with them telling her she wanted to surprise Daryl with a night alone for them. Lori had been so excited for her, agreeing and giving the woman a tight hug before bouncing off; Carol felt bad for deceiving her.

Once she had written a letter to Daryl, she headed to the dance room with the note and her gun. Shutting the now fixed door, she sat the note and gun next to the IPod speakers. Turning on the music, she decided on one last dance but when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she stopped and stared in disbelief.

Who was this woman staring back at her? She didn't recognise her at all. Tired and worn out, she bore the marks and scars of a battered life. Skin pale and a sickly grey colour, her eyes were dark and hollow and she felt rage build knowing the Governor and Ed had done this to her, but worse yet she had let them.

She couldn't control her actions jerking the speakers from the wall the IPod shattered to the ground, she swung the speakers smashing the mirror in front of her. Moving to the next and the next and the next shattering a total of five mirrors before her knees gave out and she fell to the floor sobbing.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed there sobbing but she noticed the broken bits of mirror all around. Her hands and knees were bleeding from little shards that had cut into her when she collapsed. Slowly standing, picking up a large shard of mirror as she did, the tears stopped as she brought the blade to her wrists making a clean cut on each wrists long ways, she watched almost amazed as the blood oozed out, life seeping out of her, she smiled softly she hadn't even heard the door open.

"What the hell is going on?" Her head jerked up at the sound of Daryl's voice. Placing her hands behind her back, she looked around at the mess she had made.

"I'm sorry," she whispered looking down. She heard him sigh as he moved across the room, the broken bits of mirror breaking even more under the weight of his feet.

"Don't worry about it," he replied wrapping his arms around her hugging her. That was when he noticed the gun sitting on the table behind her. "What is that gun doing in here?" he asked stepping back slightly to look at her, she looked around guiltily as she tried to think of a reasonable explanation but nothing came to mind.

"I'm sorry I'm just so tired Daryl," she whispered taking a step back so that she could feel the table on her lower back.

"Were you thinking of opting out on me? On Sophia?" She could hear the anger in his voice but she could also feel herself growing weaker as the blood still oozed from her wrists.

"I made a mess of everything, if I had just done as you asked that day and stayed here none of this would have happened, I wouldn't feel like this…. I'm sorry I let you down, I should have listened to you and I'm sorry about today, I'm sorry I make it impossible to love me," she whispered tears springing from her eyes again; he moved fast cupping her cheeks.

"Hey, you listen to me, what happened that day wasn't your fault and I'm not angry at you, it's me who should be apologising for being so hot headed and impatient. You have been through hell and here I am yelling at you… I love you woman, make no mistake you don't make it impossible to love you, you make it impossible not to love you," he moved kissing her lips softly and for the first time since the rape she didn't stiffen under his lips. She just sighed contently and kissing him back cupping his cheeks she pulling back slowly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger for you, for Sophia but you will keep her safe won't you? You'll love her like a parent should?"

"We will both keep her safe."

"When it happens, I want you to be the one to do it." His face scrunched up in confusion.

"Do what?"

"Put me down, I don't want to turn so you should do it once I'm gone, just don't hesitate." He looked at her now even more confused, that's when he noticed her hands were ice cold and wet. Grasping her wrists, he jerked back seeing her cut open and blood soaked arms, he went pale with shock as he looked up at her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as her eyes rolled back into her skull and she collapsed into his arms.

"Carol, Carol sweetheart please wake up," he begged shaking her. "HELP ME, SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as he tried to stop the bleeding, he heard footsteps running down the hall and prayed it wasn't too late.


	20. Stow away

**Brand new chapter up and ready, hope you all enjoy. Big thank you to Jaded79 for going over this for me. Let me know your thoughts.**

_Chapter 20_

_Stow away._

**He noticed her hands were ice cold and wet. Grasping her wrists, he jerked back seeing her cut open and blood soaked arms. He went pale with shock as he looked up at her.**

"**I'm sorry," she whispered as her eyes rolled back into her skull and she collapsed into his arms.**

"**Carol, Carol sweetheart please wake up," he begged shaking her. "HELP ME, SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!," he screamed at the top of his lungs as he tried to stop the bleeding; he heard footsteps running down the hall and prayed it wasn't too late.**

Daryl sat on the chair besides her looking at the drip that joined them, his blood, his life force flowing from his veins and into hers. She was still unconscious but Hershel said physically she would be fine. After stitching up her wrists, he had sat down and told Daryl he did want her to start a course of anti-depressants if the guys could find a supply of them on their next trip.

He looked at the note which was written in her delicate hand writing, he had read it so many times he had just about memorized it. He felt like such a jerk for losing his temper earlier that day. He had said things in the heat of the moment, things he didn't mean and things she had taken the wrong way. He looked up as Hershel returned. Removing the needle from Daryl's arm, he started the clear away the tubes and needles.

"Are you sure she got enough?" Daryl asked sounding concerned; his voice was hoarse and his body felt weak. He hated this feeling but he decided he would feel like this for a life time as long as she lived.

"She will be fine and we can't take much more from you otherwise we risk losing you too," he explained.

"But you're sure she will be fine?"

"Yes son she will be fine," he smiled understanding the young man's concerns. "Now drink this and eat, you need your strength." Daryl nodded, taking the glass of orange juice and plate of food. After eating he set the plate and glass aside; staring at Carol she still looked pale and he was more than worried that she hadn't woken up yet. He was just about to call Hershel in when he heard Merle and Beth enter the clinic.

"Hey, how is she?" Merle asked, Daryl sighed shaking his head.

"Hershel says fine but I really don't know," he replied looking back at Carol.

"Is daddy here?" He looked up at Beth nodding.

"Yeah think he is in his office," he said pointing towards the man's small office that was connected to the clinic. Daryl watched as she nodded and grasped Merle's hand giving it a supportive squeeze. Daryl noted how they smiled at each other almost lovingly and wondered if they realized how they felt for each other yet. Smiling softly he looked back at Carol again.

"How are you?" Merle asked taking a seat beside Daryl as Beth moved out of the room and towards Hershel's office leaving the two brothers alone to talk.

"Kicking myself," he replied gruffly.

"This isn't your fault little brother," Merle replied.

"That's where you're wrong, Carol and I got into a fight earlier today and I let my mouth get away from me," he sighed feeling guilt burn through him.

"What do you mean?" Merle asked looking at him both confused and concerned. Daryl handed him the letter Carol had written him before attempting to take her own life, looking down Merle started to read.

_Dearest Daryl,_

_I'm so sorry to have to do this, this way, if there was a way for me to say goodbye in person I would. I have made such a mess of things, so much trouble, so much pain and all because I __**had **__to come on that trip into town for a few pairs of stupid dance shoes. I should have listened to you that day when you asked me to stay here at the prison but no I had to have things my way and look what happened._

_You're right it was my own fault, I brought it on myself, if I had done what you asked those monsters never would have found me. I'm sorry about today, about yelling at you, I was being stubborn and hot headed… a trait we share…. And now you no longer want me and I can understand why you're through with me, I honestly don't know how you could stand to look at me for as long as you did._

_I know I have no right but all I ask is that you look after Sophia, she is so young and carefree and she loves you so much. Please keep her safe, this world can be so cold and cruel she needs a father like you and make sure she knows I love her so much but that she and you are both better off without me, all I bring is death and pain to those I love._

_I'm sorry for not being strong enough to stay, I wish I could because I love you so much. I never thought I could love anyone how much I love you but I do. But they hurt me so badly and every time I close my eyes I see them, I see what they did to me, what they made of me and as much as I try to control it there is this rage and fear that burns inside me._

_I will miss you, both you and Sophia so much. I will miss your laugh. Your smile, the feel of your lips on mine and the way my heart pounds in my ears when you touch me but I know you will move on, I want you to, to meet someone and fall in love again. I'll be watching over you both and I'll see you on the other side but not for a long time._

_Please keep safe and know I never stopped loving you._

_Love always _

_Carol xxoo_

"You told her it was her fault she was taken and that you guys were through?" Merle asked sounding stunned as he looked up from the letter.

"We got into an argument cause she wanted to go on the next town trip and I told her she couldn't come, that I wasn't going to let something bad happen to her again over shoes or some crap like that again… I don't blame her, I never have… I blame myself," he shook his head.

"Daryl…" Merle started wanting to comfort his brother but Daryl cut him off.

"I promised to protect her, to keep her safe and I failed… now look at her…. And when I told her I was through I meant through fighting with her not through with her… I love her, could never break it off with her," he sighed feeling tears burning his eyes but fighting them down. He hated crying especially in front of Merle but lately he felt it was all he wanted to do.

"Did you tell her that?"

"No, I was too pissed," he replied feeling like a total jerk.

"Well maybe you can tell her now," Merle said tilting his head towards Carol. Daryl turned to look at her seeing her eyes starting to flutter open. "I'll leave you to it," he nodded moving out the back to find Beth.

"Hey," he smiled down at her but she refused to look at him.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped turning her head away from him.

"I know you're angry but please listen to me, our fight earlier today you took it all the wrong way," he tried to explain.

"It doesn't matter."

"Carol please," his voice begging her. She turned her head to look at him, her face tired and drawn out.

"Daryl I can't do this with you right now, I need time and space," she sighed. "I think you should move your stuff out of my room, at least for awhile." He felt his heart break at her request.

"Are you breaking up with me?" his voice sounding hurt and he hated it, he hated being this open and vulnerable.

"I think it's for the best," she replied looking at the floor unable to look at him.

"If you're going to break it off with me at least have the guts to look me in the eye as you do it," he snapped causing her head to jerk up. Her eyes looked vacant and hollow, the once loving and kind eyes gone, snuffed out by what they put her through. "So I guess this was all rubbish then," he snapped standing and dropping her letter on her chest. She said nothing just looked down again.

"Fine you want me gone you got it but if you think I'm just going to let you kill yourself and that poor little girl along the way with your selfishness you're sorely mistaken. I'll be keeping a close eye on you," he informed her before storming out and leaving her alone.

She hated herself, she hated that she had hurt him so much, that she had lied to him but she knew he was better off without her and breaking off their relationship was the best thing for him. He would realize that soon. Letting silent tears fall from her eyes she prayed for the darkness to take her so she no longer had to feel this pain anymore.

He stormed into their room grateful that Sophia had woken up during the noise with Carol and was now in Lori and Rick's room for the night. He moved around the room and started stuffing his stuff into his bag. He couldn't believe this was happening; he couldn't believe Carol had just broken up with him. How had everything gone so wrong? Everything had been going so well, they were in love and he was going to propose and then everything had gone straight to hell.

Jerking one of his drawers open, he started stuffing his shirts in his bag when his eyes settled on the small blue ring box in the bottom of the drawer. Picking it up and opening it, he looked at the simple diamond and gold engagement ring he had picked up in town on that fateful day when everything had gone so wrong. Snapping the lid shut he tossed the box into the small trash can and continued packing.

"What are you doing?" he heard Andrea ask from the door way.

"None of your bloody business," he sneered at her as he tried to focus on the task at hand. He heard her walk into the room and readied himself for an argument.

"Don't do this, don't give up on her," her voice begged him.

"She broke up with me, she wants me out of here, and what do you want me to do?," he all but yelled at her. She sighed standing next to him as he looked up at her.

"Don't give her what she wants. Let me guess, she said she needed time and space?" He nodded at her question.

"She's scared and angry and she is taking it out on you cause she loves you and she doesn't know how to deal with that right now… if she wants space then you take Sophia's bed and Sophia can bunk with her mum."

"She told me she wants me out of the room," he sighed his voice softer now.

"Tough, she tried to opt out tonight, what happens when Sophia is asleep and you're not here? Sophia wakes up to a gunshot and finds her mother dead, cause that is what she wants, a chance to finish what she started tonight," she explained. "When I was raped I was engaged to my high school sweetheart Garry, but I pushed and pushed and pushed him until I pushed him right out the door… two weeks later I tried to kill myself and it was only cause my roommate came home from work early because she was sick that I'm still here today," she sighed tears burning her eyes.

"After that my father came and got me, I took a year off school and went home, my parents and Amy saved me… Carol may not know it but she needs you right now, don't give up on her." Daryl sighed nodding and he decided she was right, Carol would just have to deal with him being in the room.

Two days later Carol had just been released from the hospital. She had told Daryl she still wanted him out of the room but he refused, saying she could have space and time but he was staying in the room and when Sophia had stood beside him and taken his side she had caved.

Now Daryl was getting ready for the trip into town. After everyone said good bye they started preparing the cars and getting everyone in order. No one noticed as Carol slipped past them and out to the cars, slipping in the back and covering herself with the tarp that was tied to the back of the Ute. She was determined to go into town and to find Ed one way or another.

Sophia watched as her mother slipped into the back of the Ute. The others may not have seen but ever since Carol tried to take her own life, Sophia always had her eyes on her mum. Grabbing her bow, knife and gun that Daryl had given her, she moved fast and quiet, slipping into the back of the other Ute and covering herself. She knew what her mum was doing, she was going to find Ed but Sophia was going to make sure she found him first.

She was going to make him pay.


	21. Making you pay

**Big thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing so far and also a big thanks to my beta Jaded79. Hope you all enjoy and let me know your thoughts.**

_Chapter 21_

_Making you pay._

They drove for little over an hour but when she felt the trucks come to a stop, she stayed quiet and still. She could hear them talking about what shops to hit first and when they finally moved away, she uncovered herself grabbing her weapons and moving fast not wanting to be seen.

Sophia heard them all talking and within minutes of them moving away to get supplies she peeked out from under the tarp and saw her mother slip out of the truck and run across town. Jumping from under her own cover, she grabbed her bow, making sure her gun and knife were still at her side and she took off in the direction her mum went.

Back at the prison, the rest of the group was going mad trying to find Carol and Sophia, where could they have gone? Andrea had been walking the wall so they couldn't have gone out into the woods without being seen.

"Maybe Carol decided she had enough and just took off," Lori suggested.

"No, look if she was going to take off to finish what she started, she wouldn't take Sophia, she would have left her here with the group where she was safe," Andrea piped up.

"What do we do?" Beth asked. "Should we go out and look for them?"

"No," Andrea replied shaking her head. "We wouldn't even know where to start looking, we wait and see if they come back and if not Daryl will know where to look when he gets back, he knows them best." They all nodded in agreement hoping the two would be alright.

Carol moved across the small town, only running into one walker so far. She was looking for a car. She would wait in town until the night to see if Ed showed up, if not, she would get a car and head out; she wouldn't stop till she found him. She looked into a small car seeing the keys still in it and a half a tank of gas. She was just about to see what else was inside when someone grabbed her from behind, one hand around her neck as the other knocked the gun from her hand.

"Hello wife," Ed sneered in her ear sending shivers down her spine. "I've been waiting for you."

Sophia had lost sight of her mum but thanks to Daryl's lessons she quickly picked up her tracks. Moving across the small town, she heard her mother's strangled gasps. Rounding the building, she saw Ed trying to shove Carol into a small car. Sophia stepped in front of them raising her bow.

"Let her go," she ordered him; he looked up smiling at her.

"My little Sophia, oh I have missed you."

"I said let her go." Carol was stunned to see Sophia there and she could feel her heart pounding in her ears. Sophia must have followed her, she felt guilt flood through her, she had done this. She had put her little girl in the middle of her war.

"Now come on, Sophia you know better than to talk to me like that, get in the car, we're going to be a family again."

"We were never a family," Sophia replied coldly. "You are a monster and we were your prisoners but that's over now, we're not scared of you anymore." Her little voice was strong and calm.

"Sophia, get out of here," Carol yelled to her causing Ed to tighten his hold around her neck almost causing her to choke.

"Shut up!" he hissed at her.

"I know what you did to my mother, the horrible things you and that man did, I won't let you get away with it, you're going to pay." Carol felt her heart break as tears burned her eyes, she looked at Sophia questioningly – how had she found out? "I'm sorry mamma I heard you and daddy talking about it."

"I'm your father," he snapped.

"No you're not," she snapped back at him. "My father's name is Daryl Dixon and he is a good man, an honourable man, who has never and will never hurt us like you did," she yelled at him.

"Little bitch!" he hissed raising a knife from his side. She knew what he was about to do; moving fast she lined up the shot just like Daryl had taught her and fired. The arrow whizzed past Carol's face and hit Ed straight through his hand pinning it to the car, he screamed out in pain as the knife slipped from his hand.

Carol moved over to Sophia. She couldn't believe it, she knew her little girl was a good shot but that was maybe even better than Daryl. Sophia still had the bow trained on Ed, reloading as her mum stood beside her she fired again causing Carol to flinch slightly in surprise. Both Ed's hands were now pinned to the car as he whimpered in pain.

"Are you alright mamma?" Sophia asked turning to face Carol, sliding the bow onto her back.

"I'm fine thanks to you," Carol sighed. She felt so much guilt right now; she also felt stupid the way she had been going on lately, the things she had said and done all driven by hate and anger, in all of it she forgot what was most important.

Her little Sophia.

"I'm so sorry Sophia, for everything… I was so angry that I let it cloud my judgement; I never should have come out here and I never wanted you to find out what happened to me that day."

"It's okay mamma, I'll keep you safe." Carol couldn't stop the sob that tore through her throat as she hugged her little girl before stepping back.

"No, from now on I'll keep you safe."

"We'll keep each other safe." Carol smiled at her little girl, she was growing up so fast and she was becoming a powerful woman. She watched as Sophia grabbed out her gun and headed towards Ed.

"Sophia no," Carol caught up with her as she stopped right in front of Ed. "Let's just go."

"It won't stop here, he will come after us again and I won't let him hurt you anymore," she said turning to look at Ed. Carol was glad when she saw Sophia lower her gun and instead start talking to Ed. "Do you remember my 10th birthday party? You were off on some bullshit fishing trip which we knew meant your latest fling but we didn't care cause that meant we didn't have to put up with you and your crap," she hissed before continuing. "But you came home early and saw mamma and me dancing together, you flipped out and I could smell the booze on your breath," Sophia wanted to cry at the memory but instead she looked at him with hate in her eyes.

"You hit her and told her she was a no good whore, she told me to go to my room and stay there but I didn't. I hid in the hallway and watched as you beat her and then you **reminded **her of your no dancing rule… I still remember your words _**kneecaps; well it's no fun dancing without those **_and you broke both her knees with a baseball bat… that was the moment I truly hated you," Sophia snarled and before Carol could even react Sophia raised her gun and shot Ed once in each knee cap. He wailed in agony and Carol gasped in shock, her hand flying to her mouth. Carol was about to say something when she heard the first lot of moans.

"We have to go," Carol said grabbing Sophia's arm.

"No please, you can't leave me here," Ed begged, Carol didn't know what to do.

"Go to hell where you belong," Sophia snapped at him grabbing her mother's hand and turning to run, seeing Daryl and Rick running towards them.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Daryl asked them, that was when he noticed Ed. "Son of a bitch!" he hissed about to move over to the man when he saw the first group of walkers.

"We got walkers," Rick yelled.

"Come on," Daryl said picking up Sophia and grabbing Carol's hand and running. He turned his head slightly when he heard Ed's painful screams, seeing at least twenty walkers tearing into him and he couldn't help but feel glad that Ed Peletier was no more.

The trip home had been made in silence. Once they arrived back at the prison, everyone had been overjoyed to see them both safe and alive. Once both Carol and Sophia were cleared by Hershel, Carol had helped make dinner. Once Sophia was fed and bathed, Carol had taken Sophia to bed.

They had talked about Ed and what happened that day and while Sophia was glad Ed was gone, it was clear her actions were getting to her a bit. As Carol explained, it was because she was a good person and no truly good person could walk away from something like that without it leaving scars on them. Sophia had smiled hugged her mum and told her she loved her and promised to talk to her if she ever needed to.

Now Carol stood in the dance room, the glass and blood had been cleaned up but the mirrors that had been broken during her outburst were still broken. She couldn't help but feel guilty for the mess, and regretful; she was just glad that a lot of them were still in perfect condition.

"I was looking for you," she heard him say as he came into the room. "I noticed Sophia was asleep in her own bed." Carol nodded not turning to face him.

"Yeah…. I made such a mess of things, I let my anger and hate consume me," she sighed angrily. "I let them win,"

"You were going through something, it's understandable."

"But it was unacceptable," she whispered turning to face him. "I didn't just let it affect me but I let it affect you, Sophia… I let it destroy our family," she whispered her eyes glassing over.

"Not destroyed, ain't nothing been done that can't be fixed," he replied cupping her cheek.

"I went out there today, I hid in the back of that truck and she saw me and did the same… I went out there with death in my heart and I turned my little girl into a killer," she cried. He moved forward wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey, you didn't turn Sophia into anything, she wanted to protect her mum and there ain't nothing wrong or bad about that," he whispered into her hair before stepping back both hands holding her face. "Sophia didn't kill Ed, the walkers did and she went out there to keep you safe, to keep this family safe, you should be proud of her." She nodded knowing he was right, tears ran down her cheeks as he wiped them away with his thumbs.

"I am proud of her, you should have seen her today… she wasn't afraid, not of him, hell not even of the walkers that were coming, she stood up to him and when she fired that bow he had hold of me and her aim was perfect, she even put you to shame."

"I taught the girl well," he smiled. "She's a natural on the bow just like her dad." She smiled at this and he could see something in her eye.

"What?" he asked curious.

"Today she called you dad in front of Ed and when he yelled that he was her father she went back at him and said very proudly that her father's name was Daryl Dixon and he was a good, honourable man he would never dream of hurting her or her mamma." He smirked at this, pride beaming through him.

"Well she was right about that."

"I'm so sorry for everything and I promise to do better," she whispered pulling a bottle of tablets from her pocket. He felt fear at first, thinking she had come here to try and kill herself again but then he noticed it was one of the many bottles of anti-depressants him and Rick had picked up today. He let her step out of his grasp. Opening the bottle, she popped one tablet into her mouth, picking up a bottle of water that sat on the nearby table and swallowing it down.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that." She nodded putting the bottle back into her pocket.

"I just hope one day you can forgive me," she whispered looking down; he slipped his finger under her chin forcing her to look at him.

"Ain't nothing to forgive woman." She nodded more tears slipping from her eyes.

"Then maybe we could forget that crap I said about breaking up the other day?" she asked, her voice and eyes pleading, he smiled nodding.

"Breaking up? I don't remember that." She smiled before stepping forward and pressing her lips to his softly. Moving to deepen it, he was surprised but glad when she didn't tense or move away, their kiss was soft but passionate and she couldn't help the moan that escaped her throat at the feel of his tongue brushing across hers. They finally parted when breathing became an issue, leaning their foreheads together they panted trying to get their breathing under control.

"Maybe Lori and Rick can watch Sophia tomorrow night," Carol suggested. He looked into her eyes wanting to scream yes, it had been so long since they had been together that way but he needed to make sure she was certain.

"Are you sure? I don't want you thinking you have anything to prove because I can wait."

"Well I'm glad you can but I can't," she smiled. "I'm not rushing, I just want you in every way," she breathed and he felt himself going rock hard.

"Damn I wish it was tomorrow night already." She laughed out loud at his words and he pulled her flush against him. "I love you woman, I never stopped."

"I love you too," she replied smiling sweetly at him, he kissed her one last time.

"Come on let's get some sleep." She nodded agreeing as they left the dance room and headed for bed. Carol knew what happened that day would always be with her but she refused to let it consume and control her any longer. No, she was going to move on, she was going to get better and live her life; she wouldn't let them win any longer.


	22. Losing myself in your arms

**Big thank you to everyone for all your awesome reviews and for reading so far. Also a big thanks to Jaded79 for going over this for me, let me know what you think.**

_Chapter 22_

_Losing myself in your arms._

The next day Carol asked Lori if Sophia could spend the night. Lori had looked at her cautiously as the last time Carol asked to have a night alone with Daryl she had tried and almost succeed in killing herself.

Carol could understand her concerns and said she was happy for her to ask Daryl and Lori had, moving across the dining area and asking him if that was the real story and Carol had to try and silence her laughs as she saw Daryl's face go bright red with embarrassment. Otherwise, Lori had been more than happy to take Sophia; she hugged Carol close whispering how she was so glad to have her friend back. Carol had to admit she was glad to be back.

That night she had been waiting for him when he came out of the shower; she sat on the edge of their bed in a silk black nightie. He had been careful with her as he undressed her, laying her onto the bed and taking his time to get familiar with her body again.

When they made love he had been sweet and soft with her; taking his time, he was in no rush for the night to end. His hands were soft on her skin and he slipped in and out of her heat at an agonising slow pace but he refused to go any faster and he brought her to a whole new level of pleasure.

They had reached release together, grasping at each other like their lives depending on it, panting for breath, covered in a fine layer of sweat. He figured she would want to go to sleep but as he went to move off her, she flipped them, smiling down at him wickedly before crawling down his body. They made love for most of the night only tiring just before sun up and falling asleep a tangled mess of arms and legs with content smiles on their faces.

Daryl woke first, he wasn't sure what time it was but he knew by the warmth in the room that the sun had been up for a while. Slipping from her loving arms he stood putting his pants on, that is when he saw it sitting in the small waste basket. He remembered tossing it in there when Carol had broken up with him and he couldn't believe he had forgotten to get it back out.

Moving over to it, he bent down picking it up and opening the box to look at the ring inside. No matter how much he tried he still felt guilt about that day and a part of him still felt like her being taken was his fault. He had never told her and she had never asked, she just assumed he was grabbing medical supplies when she was attacked but that hadn't been totally true.

"Daryl," her voice was soft and he sighed closing the box and turning to face her. She was sitting up in the bed, the sheet clutched to her still naked chest, she was smiling at him so sweetly, so much love and trust in her eyes and he knew he had to tell her the truth about that day. "Are you alright?" she asked him sounding concerned.

"The day you were taken, I know I was meant to be getting medical supplies with Rick but the truth is we… we had finished that and were doing something else," he whispered looking down.

"Okay," she replied sounding confused as she wrapped the sheet around her body and swung her legs over the bed. "So where were you?"

"Getting you this," he replied handing her the small box. She looked between him and the box confused before opening it, she gasped at the stunning engagement ring that sat inside.

"Daryl it's beautiful."

"I asked Rick to help me pick out a ring so I could propose to you, if I hadn't we could have been out at the car when the Governor pulled up and you never would have been taken."

"You don't know that," she replied but she could see the guilt all over his face, the guilt he had clearly been carrying for a while but she had been so caught up in her own pain she had failed to notice it. Standing from the bed still clutching the box and sheet, she stood before him. "You keep telling me what happened wasn't my fault, even though if I had listened and stayed here it never would have happened… what makes you think it's okay for you to try and carry the blame just because you took a few minutes to do something amazing like getting me a ring to propose?"

"I would have been out there sooner, you might never have come out of the shop, stayed hidden…," he rambles but she cuts him off cupping his cheeks and making him look at her.

"Hey, it is not your fault, whether or not you got out there first, I still would have gone out because I had my head buried in that bag looking at all the shoes I got and even if I had noticed them there I would have gone out because I love you and would have wanted to protect you," she explained. "I don't blame you and I don't blame myself anymore either… sometimes bad things just happen to good people but it's what we do afterwards that matters," she whispered placing the box into his hands.

He looked at her and smiled softly, he had been blaming himself for a long time and he worried that when she knew the truth she would hate him; but all he saw in her eyes was her love for him and her undying trust. Moving forward he cupped her cheek and kissed her softly before dropping to one knee and she couldn't stop the bright smile that light up her face.

"Carol you are the most amazing woman I have ever known and I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. We've been through hell together… literally." She couldn't help but giggle. "But even though we have been tested and pushed to the edge we always found our way back to each other… I have seen the best and the worst of you just like you have with me but I know without a doubt that you're the one, you're a hell of a woman and I want to make it official, I want you to be my wife and for you, me and Sophia to be a family… will you marry me?" By the time he stopped talking she had fresh tears running down her face but for the first time in a long time they were tears of happiness.

"Of course I'll marry you," she cried smiling as he slipped the ring onto her finger and squealing as he stood taking her into his arms and spinning her around, kissing her hard before they tumbled into bed together once again.


	23. Just a quick note for author

Just a quick note to everyone following A woman's worth, I just posted the "un-tame" version of chapter 22 on Adultfanfiction web site under penname SpikesSlayer08 story tittle "A woman's worth" Enjoy and I will be posting chapter 23 tomorrow


	24. Be my only

**So sorry for the late update but I have been so busy I just haven't had any time to write. Big thank to my beta Jaded79 and I hope you will all review with your thoughts.**

_Chapter 23_

_Be my only._

A week had passed since Daryl had got down on one knee and proposed to Carol, so far things were going great. Life had mostly returned to normal but Daryl was eager to have a ceremony and so he had talked Rick into taking another run to town to pick up a few things. Daryl had even asked Carol if she wanted to come along and look for a dress but she had declined saying she wasn't feeling up to it, so she had sent Andrea to help him pick out dresses for them.

Truth was the past few days she had been feeling under the weather, tired and her stomach was unsettled but she tried to just push through it, returning to her normal duties of cooking, cleaning and walking the wall. She had even started up their morning dance lessons again much to Daryl's surprise.

Sophia was adjusting well; despite what she had been through last week she seemed to be her usual fun loving self. Life was finally starting to come back together. Carol moved into the kitchen greeting Lori with a smile as they got to work making dinner. The men would return soon and she wanted Daryl to have a hot meal waiting for him when he got here.

Michonne walked into the kitchen with T-Dog nodding at both woman and placing her kills on the kitchen counter before heading out. Carol moved over to the two dead rabbits and four dead squirrels, grabbing them she moved to gut and clean them like she would any other day but as she stuck the knife into one and saw its insides she felt her stomach turn. She knew she wouldn't make it to the bathroom so she quickly turned grabbing a nearby garbage basket and emptied her stomach's contents into it.

"Carol are you alright?" Lori gasped kneeling down next to her rubbing her back softly.

"I'm fine, it's just when I cut into that squirrel…." She couldn't finish her words as the thought of it again had her throwing up.

"What the hell is going on?" she heard Daryl's voice over the sound of her vomiting but couldn't look up as she continued.

"I don't know, we were cleaning Michonne's kills and she started throwing up," Lori replied as he kneeled down next to her.

"Carol," she heard him speak softly as she finally looked up, eyes glassy, and trying to catch her breath.

"I'm alright, just a bit off… probably just a bug," she sighed but she could see the concern in his eyes.

"I'm taking you to see Hershel." She went to protest but he stood scooping her up in his arms and carrying her towards the clinic.

Hershel and Daryl fussed around her, taking her temperature, blood pressure and a full medical history and a urine sample. She sat there for a few minutes growing impatient as she waited for Hershel to return. With the questions Hershel was asking she was getting a good idea of what he thought was wrong with her. She had heard all these questions before. When he returned she held her breath as he looked at her, a mixture of nervous and worried.

"Well doc what the bloody hell is the matter with her?" Daryl barked hating the silence.

"Carol when was your last period?"

"What the hell has that got to do with anything?" Daryl snapped confused and anxious.

"Daryl," she hushed him, he could tell by the look on her face she knew what Hershel was getting at.

"What is going on here?" he asked her concerned.

"I don't know for sure, Hershel, maybe eight weeks ago but with everything that happens I haven't really kept track." Hershel nodded.

"Understandable."

"You ran a test?" She asked the man who looked at her nodding; she felt tears burn her eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" Daryl all but yelled. Sighing, Carol turned to face him.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered tears slipping from her eyes.

"You're pregnant, we're going to have a baby?" he smiled happily leaning forward and kissing her softly but she couldn't help but feel her tears choking her, a sob ripping through her throat. "Why are you so sad? Aren't you happy that we are going to have a baby together?" He asked unable to stop himself from feeling hurt.

"Daryl I was raped three weeks ago," she replied trying to control her tears.

"You don't… you don't think the baby is mine?" he almost cried heartbroken at the thought.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"You could have been pregnant before the rape, I mean you said yourself your last… lady moment was 8 weeks ago."

"Maybe but as I said I think it was 8 weeks ago… I'm just not sure Daryl"

"Perhaps there is a way to be sure," Hershel butted in but got their attention fully.

"I was going to suggest to Rick we pick up a portable ultrasound machine on the next run for Lori anyway but I was hesitant cause it meant going to a much large town, going into a hospital but now I think it's worth the risk," he explained. "I won't be able to tell the baby's age until you're at least four to five months if we want to be sure." Carol nodded knowing he was right, it would be a long wait but she wanted to know for sure.

"I'll let you two talk," Hershel said moving out of the clinic and leaving them alone.

"Carol, I know you're worried but this baby… it's mine no matter what that ultrasound says," he whispered touching her tummy.

"I just need to know Daryl," she sighed.

"Will it really make a difference?" She knew it wouldn't she would love this baby regardless.

"No, I will love this baby no matter how I feel pregnant with it but… I don't know Daryl I just, I need to know… it didn't change how I felt about Sophia when I found out the truth and it wouldn't change how I feel about this one." His head shot up at his.

"What?" he gasped, it occurred to her then that they hadn't really talked about what happened that day.

"The first time Ed raped me that day he was gloating how it wasn't actually the first time he had raped me… I always suspected, hell even you suggested it once… he knew I would never marry him so he figured the only way to get me as his was to get me pregnant so the night we went on our one and only date he slipped something into my drink and waited for me to pass out and then he raped me hoping I would fall pregnant and I did."

"Sophia," Daryl whispered.

"Yeah… she can never know… it doesn't matter to me how I fell pregnant with her, I love her just as much as I did before if not more… she's my little girl." Daryl moved forward wrapping his arms around her protectively. She was the most amazing person he had ever met, strong and brave and he knew no matter what that baby was his and he would make her his wife before this baby was born.


	25. Life worth living

_Well this is the very last chapter for A woman's worth. I want to say a HUGE thank you to all the amazing people who showed their unwavering support and for everyone's wonderful reviews. Also a MASSIVE thank you to my AMAZING beta Jaded79 who worked hard to help me make this story great. So please for the last time on this story please tell my your thoughts._

_Chapter 24_

_Life worth living._

Just weeks after discovering Carol was pregnant they married in a small ceremony surrounded by the people they now called family. They had celebrated that night, taking the night to forget the fact that the world was crawling with the dead and that life would never be the same again, they just relaxed and let everything go.

In the months that followed, Lori had given birth to a healthy baby girl. Carol knew that Lori and Rick would never really know who was little Abby's real father but for the moment they didn't seem to care, they were too busy enjoying the new addition to their family.

Beth and Merle had become increasingly close and they had surprised everyone just a week ago when they announced they were getting married. Hershel who seemed to know about it already was surprisingly happy.

Maggie and Glenn had become engaged and announced they were now expecting one of their own. Andrea and T-Dog had managed to find romance in each other and while they were not yet talking about marriage or kids, they were clearly in love. They had taken in strangers along the way but were always careful with who they took in. With new people arriving every day and more babies on the way it seemed what started out as a small family was quickly growing.

Carol was now showing, getting bigger every day and she was now about five to six months pregnant and today was the day they would find out for sure just how far along she was – five or six months but more importantly, if Daryl was the father of the baby growing inside her.

They had said it didn't matter one way or the other but she knew that was a lie, it did matter to her at least. She knew it wouldn't change how she felt about the baby or her love for it but she had to know, needed to know for sure. She took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves, rubbing her pregnant tummy.

"Okay little one here we go," she whispered as she moved into the clinic surprised to see Daryl and Sophia waiting there for her. "I thought you had to walk the wall?"

"Did you really think I was going to miss this woman?" he replied gruffly and she couldn't help but laugh.

"And I thought you had bow training with Merle and the other kids?"

"He said I could have the morning off to see the baby," Sophia smiled. "Can I mamma, can I stay and see the baby?" Carol could see the hope and excitement in her eyes and knew she couldn't say no.

"Of course sweetheart," she sighed smiling when Sophia squealed and jumped up and down. Carol moved to the bed as Daryl helped her up onto it. Lifting her shirt she couldn't help but giggle when Hershel squeezed the cool gel onto her belly. "It tickles," she laughed, Hershel smiled at her as he started the ultrasound.

Carol laid back her eyes closed as she waited, she could hear Sophia ohhhing and aahhing in amazement at the baby on the screen as Hershel rolled the device over her round belly. Every now and then she would hear him typing on the wand and after what felt like an eternity he finally put the wand down.

"Well baby is looking very good, nice and healthy, do you want to know the sex?" she opened her eyes looking at him in almost disbelief.

"What I want to know is exactly how far along I am," she snapped harshly.

"Carol," Daryl chastised her.

"Sorry," she sighed feeling bad for snapping.

"No my fault I should have mentioned that first I was just so excited, you're definitely six months Carol, by my calculations around six months and two weeks."

"Thank god," she smiled.

"Does that mean…" Daryl started before Hershel cut him off.

"Congratulations, daddy." Daryl couldn't contain his excitement as he leant down and kissed her hard before pulling back.

"What did I tell you?" he smiled proudly and she couldn't help but laugh. "So come on doc what are we having a boy or girl?"

"A boy," he smiled.

"Oh thank goodness I'm already over run with women in our room and need a little man for back-up."

"Hey," Sophia pouted slapping him playfully.

"Sorry princess but it's true." Carol sighed smiling at their playful conversation.

Life was finally on track again, married to the man she loves, her beautiful daughter happy and healthy and a son on the way. Things had been dark in the past, so many terrible things had happened but none of that mattered anymore even though the dead still roamed beyond the prison walls she knew they were safe here in this haven they had found.

Carol was finally happy, truly happy. She loved her life, loved this family they had found, loved her husband – a man who was good, kind, brave and would never even think of hurting her or their children. A man that knew her worth. Somehow in this hellish world they had managed to make a life together.

A life worth living.


End file.
